Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts
by LadyTurwaithiel
Summary: Chloe is studying for her Masters degree in Bucharest, she's broke, her apartment is practically a ruin and she barely speaks Romanian. On the bright side, her neighbor's hot. Takes place before and during Civil War, Bucky/OC. Rated T for strong language and themes.
1. Chapter 1: Hello Bucharest!

_A/N_

 _Hello! –waves maniacally–_

 _Welcome to my first uploaded fanfic ever! I'm kinda nervous, to be honest. I've been writing for many years, but this is the first time I decided to upload a fanfic! Also, since English is not my native language, you will probably stumble across some grammatical and spelling mistakes, though I try hard to avoid them._

 _So, about the story: I will try to make it a relatively light hearted one (at least when compared to some of my previous work). There shall be humor, fluff, some angst here and there for good measure, and although "romance" is in the tag, this is mainly a story about friendship, and the romance aspect will be a really gradual thing._

 _I just really wanted to give Bucky some peace and quiet, you know? Poor guy can barely catch a break._

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this, because I certainly enjoyed writing it! I will try to update once a month._

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 1: Hello Bucharest!**

 _"_ _How's the apartment sweetie?"_

Chloe smiled brightly at her mother's blurry Skype image.

"It's an absolute mess!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Her mom groaned; extra grumpy from having just woken up and still drinking her coffee.

 _"_ _Can you stop being so damn cheerful? It gets on my nerves!"_

"Aren't _you_ the one who always said I should look on the bright side?"

 _"_ _You have an entire ocean between you and your family, you're in a foreign country where they talk language you can barely communicate in, you rented a shitty apartment in a shitty neighborhood and you have no roommates! What part of this is exactly good?"_

"Well first things first, I have an entire ocean between me and my family…"

 _"_ _Chloe!"_

"Oh, you know I'm kidding! I already miss you guys."

 _"_ _We will probably miss you more. I already have my hands full with your brother. He got into a fight with Madison two hours after you left."_

Chloe laughed.

"Well, good luck with that ma!"

 _"_ _Now you're just being mean. And don't think I'll let you get away without telling me what's up with the apartment."_

Chloe stuck her tongue out to her mom.

"Well, it's currently dirty but that will be fixed soon, the floorboards creak like mad, the plaster in the bathroom is cracked and falling, the kitchen is probably 50 years old, the pipes make weird sounds and the crown jewel: the faucet spits out brown water for around a minute after you get it running."

Aurelia Paylor pinched the bridge of her nose in absolute irritation.

 _"_ _Wipe that smile off your face; you know I was against this. I understand wanting to be independent, I_ _ **encourage**_ _it, but-"_

"Yes mom, I know, you wanted me to stay in America or let David help me rent a better place, I _know_ ; I don't _care_. If David wants to fund his siblings, he has two underage ones that have studies ahead of them. I worked my butt of to be able to carry my own weight, and I am proud of it. It's my apartment and I pay for it on my own and if it doesn't bother me that it's old, it shouldn't bother you either, okay?"

Her mom sighed.

"Mom, please, can be drop this?"

 _"_ _Fine, but if anything happens I swear to God I'm coming all the way to Bucharest and dragging you back home!"_

"I'm shaking."

 _"_ _Chloe Marie Paylor! Show some respect to your mother!"_

"Mom no offence, but I've not been being afraid of you since I was like 5."

 _"_ _Now you're just hurting my feelings."_

Chloe snorted. Her mom just let out an exasperated breath.

 _"_ _So_ _ **is**_ _there anything good about that hellhole?"_

"Hey don't talk like that about my palace! If you want to know, it's spacious and it has a lots of light so yeay for my plants, the bed and bathtub are big and I think once I clean up and put some green in here it will look nice! _And_ I have it all on my own. Bonus point. Having no roommate is the best."

 _"_ _It's dangerous."_

"Remember Laura?"

 _"_ _Oh come on she was one roommate, who else was more trouble than help?"_

"Paul. Andrea."

 _"_ _What did poor Andrea ever do?"_

"She destroyed like half of my orchids?"

 _"_ _By accident."_

"Still. A true flora assassin, that girl."

Her mom giggled.

 _"_ _Are you at least relatively high up the building?"_

"Oh, that... That's another problem."

 _"_ _Please tell me you are_ _ **not**_ _on floor level."_

"Nope, I'm on the 9th floor."

 _"_ _That's good!"_

"There's not elevator."

Her mom stared at her and then broke down in hysterical laughter.

 _"_ _Oh, thank you karma!"_

"It's not funny mom!"

 _"_ _It's hilarious and you know it! Well, on the bright side, you'll finally get some exercise!"_

"Yeah that's what I tell myself too. It's carrying stuff up the stairs that gives me nightmares."

 _"_ _Well, you chose the place, so you asked for it."_

"It looked better online!"

 _"_ _The internet lies."_

"Yep, the world is out to get naive innocent younglings like myself."

 _"_ _I have forgotten the last time you were innocent. Also I don't think you count as a youngling anymore."_

"My heart is forever stuck at 19."

 _"_ _Sure thing honey."_

"Anyway, I'm gonna go now, I need to clean up, organize my stuff and then I'll probably drop by the university, see how long it takes me to get there, get the program; you know the drill."

 _"_ _Okay, I have to get ready for work too. And wake up your siblings; heaven save me. Talk later! We love you!"_

"Me too! Tell Billy not to drive Madison up the wall."

 _"_ _Like that will be enough to stop him."_

"Hey at least I try! Bye now!"

 _"_ _Bye, take care!"_

"Will do! Love you!"

 _"_ _Love you too!"_

Chloe pressed the red button on the screen of her rather old laptop and stretched her legs. She looked around her new apartment in slight despair, but soon enough got off of the extremely dusty couch and stretched her back.

"Well, looking at you won't make you any cleaner!" she mumbled to herself.

She pulled her hair up, opened the cabinet and wielded her hoover and duster.

" _Birds flying high, you know how I feel…_ " she sang under her breath.

Two hours and a half later, she looked at her work with pride; floor clear of dust and dirt, all cupboards and surfaces dusted, all plates washed and all clothes folded and placed in the closet, bedsheets changed and good to go, sofa and curtains having years of dust hoovered out of them.

She smiled and headed to the little cabinet to get the mop and all things needed to clean the bathroom and kitchen. The mop was there alright, but all cleaners were quite absent.

"Oh fuck me!" she exclaimed.

She checked every cupboard and bathroom cabinet, but nope. Nothing.

"All you need for cleaning is in the cabinet…" she mimicked her landlord's voice under her breath.

 _I think I saw a mini market in the corner when the bus dropped my off._

With a sigh, she put on a hoodie, wore her shoes and out the door she went.

 _On to my mighty quest to find some bleach and Ajax!_

Truth be told, she was not even remotely angry; she was too excited to be. The apartment was old and perhaps a bit of a mess, but she didn't mind; in fact she liked it. It was clear that the place had seen many dwellers and old places like that had long storied behind them. They felt warmer, more hospitable.

She loved her old, worn couch that god knows how many people had sat on, had seen movies and had slept and had fights and had cried and made love on. She loved the creaking floorboards that so many feet had walked and danced on and the kitchen that had seen good cooks, bad cooks, meals for two or groups for friends or an old woman's simple dinner.

She definitely did not love the stairs. But what can you do.

She finally reached the ground floor, opened the door and walked out on the street. Looking around she found that at the left corner of the street there was indeed a mini market.

She entered happily, greeting the clearly bored out of her mind cashier in broken Romanian.

And then she faced her biggest challenge yet: she barely recognized any of the cleaning products. And the labels were in Romanian.

"Oh great."

She turned back to the cashier and smiled as brightly as she could.

"Scuzaţi-mă…"

The girl raised her head. She was a pretty girl, petite, with a small pouty mouth, big blue eyes and a blonde pixie cut. She looked like a fairy; but an intensely bored one at that.

"Vorbiți engleză?"

"Yes. Do you need help?" she answered in perfect English, albeit with a slightly thick accent.

"Oh thank God!" Chloe sighed in relief "I need some cleaning products, but I can't read the labels, could you please help me?"

"Sure. What are you looking for?"

"Some all-purpose-cleaner, bleach, oven cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet cleaner, generally all the basics."

"Okay…" the girl said and got up behind the cash register.

"Are you the only one working?"

"Unfortunately. The other girl got sick and the manager only shows up around afternoon."

"Not very nice…"

"Nope!"

Chloe followed her back to the cleaning section and paid attention as the girl showed her what was what.

"Here for tourism?" the girl asked.

"No, I'll be staying for two years; for my Masters degree."

"Oh? Which University?"

"The University of Bucharest."

"Really? I go there too! What are you studying?"

"Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, and Folklore."

"In English, I suppose."

"Yeah!" Chloe laughed "My Romanian is not there yet. Your English is excellent by the way!"

"Thank you!" the girl said "You'll find that most people our age do speak rather fluently, though."

"That's awesome. And a relief to be honest."

The girl nodded.

"So what about you? I mean, what are you studying?"

"Psychology, final post-graduate year." said the girl and surprised Chloe with a proud smile.

"That sounds great!" she smiled back.

"It is. I love it."

Now that she had warmed up to her, Chloe decided she liked the girl. With her pixie cut, dimples and no-shit attitude, she reminded her of her best friend, Sophie.

By this point, they had gone back, the girl putting all the things on the cash register.

"Do you need anything else?"

Chloe paused. She decided she needed to introduce herself to her neighbors; establish a spirit of good will.

"Ingredients for cookies."

The girl nodded and brought everything needed.

"Thank you." Chloe said as the girl started scanning her stuff.

"If you don't mind me asking, how come you came here for studies?"

"Scholarship. Not expensive life-style."

"Yep, I see." she nodded.

At that point a new customer entered the shop, and Chloe hurriedly paid in order to let the girl do her job.

"Thank you so much for the help!"

"No problem. Enjoy Bucharest!"

"Oh I intend to!"

The client cleared his throat behind them.

"Oh sorry! Again, thank you so much!"

"My pleasure. See you at the University!"

"Sure thing!" she smiled brightly "I'm Chloe, by the way!"

"My name's Annika." she smiled and narrowed her eyes at the sound behind her "If this old man keeps clearing his throat I will shove a pack of pastilles down that thing."

Chloe laughed and waived at her as she left; humming a song as she walked down the sidewalk and entering her building.

" _It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's new life for me!_ "

 _First day and I already made an acquaintance. Things are looking up!_

Then she saw those accursed stairs.

Somewhere around the fifth floor she stopped to catch her breath, regretting the past year when she chose Netflix over gym.

"You can do it girl!" she said to herself and started once more the perilous path of the staircase.

Finally, huffing and cursing, see reached her floor and dropped her bags in front of her door as she searched her pockets for her keys.

The sound of a door opening and closing came from behind her and she turned to see the back of a man locking the door of the apartment diagonally next to her own.

 _Oh, a neighbor! I should make a good first impression!_

The man locked the door and started to turn around as she straitened her body.

"Bună ziua!" she said with a bright smile.

The man turned around and looked at her.

 _Holy. Fucking. Shit._

He seemed to be in his late 20s to early 30s; he was tall and very, _very_ fit. Long dark brown hair, steel blue eyes; 5-o'clock shadow and full lips.

She blinked away her surprise and swallowed nervously as the by far best looking guy she had ever laid eyes upon gave her a scrutinizing look from head to toe; making her cheeks light up red.

 _Oh God I look like a mess. Am I wearing the dirty sweatpants? I'm wearing the dirty sweatpants. Oh for fucks sake stop staring at me, I look horrid!_

Finally, after an agonizing second of complete silence from him, her new neighbor nodded politely.

"Bună ziua."

He turned and headed towards the stairs while Chloe entered her apartment, shut the door, dumped her stuff on the floor and look over her new home with a dazed look.

 _I am never, ever, leaving the house with dirty sweatpants again._

Then she headed straight for the laptop; cleaning and university be damned. Her apartment had just gotten a glorious upgrade, and her friend Sophie was about to be excitedly screamed at.

* * *

 _Song in the chapter:_

 ** _Feeling Good –_** _Nina Somone_


	2. Chapter 2: Somehow happy

_Hello again! Thank you all_ ** _so much_** _for the amazing feedback and support!_

 _Yes, yes, I know I said I would update once a month, but I found some spare time to write, so hooray! I don't expect I'll find the time to write the next chapter this fast though, since I'm in exam period. So Perhaps you should count this as the June update? Anyway._

 _I was worried that people might dislike the amount of dialogue between non-central characters, but apparently many people enjoyed it? I'm so happy! This chapter is on the same vibe but it will be more description heavy, so I apologize in advance. I generally try not to do this, but since this one is a Bucky chapter it was almost impossible to avoid inner monologue._

 _This is actually the chapter I am most nervous about, because if I can't get Bucky right, the whole thing will sink. I hope you like my interpretation of him._

 _Finally, I promise this is the last introductory chapter; I swear stuff starts happening by the next one!_

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs._

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 2: Somehow happy**

Bucky Barnes was quite pleased with his current life.

It was not perfect, but in the end, he was the happiest he had been in a while: somehow, Bucharest had provided him with some kind of peace and although he had originally planned to change locations every two months, he was already closing in his fourth one here; and was not planning to leave unless he no other choice.

Sure, his apartment was in a building about to fall apart and he didn't own a bed. But his mattress was comfortable enough and he had a functioning kitchen and bathroom. That was all the luxury he required. Yes, he had to cover his windows for safety; but it was the kind neighborhood where people didn't ask many questions and knew when to turn a blind eye: on his building alone lived a drug dealer, five junkies and quite a few gang members. The first floor functioned as the living and working quarters of a madam and her girls. The rest of the residents seemed to be either impoverished, old or into some kind of illegal activity. No one paid him any mind; besides the ladies of the first floor, who smiled at him when he passed them by.

When that happened, he always clenched his jaw and walked away; but it wasn't the girls themselves that upset him. It was the voice in the back of his mind that told him that Bucky Barnes would have smiled back. Memories of laughter and dancing and endless flirting would come to him from time to time and he would write them down on his notebook, along with any names he could remember.

 _Lottie, Betty, Silvia, Mary. A girl with red hair._

They were all probably dead by now, or extremely old. They had met other guys and danced with them and they got married and had kids and grandkids. All the things he could have done, perhaps with one of them, but didn't get to.

 _Things I will never get to do._

Yes, girls made Bucky Barnes really sad.

But there were things that made him happy, too.

Working made him happy. He took whatever job he could find: fixed things, carried stuff; mainly manual work. It didn't pay much but it was enough for him to make it through. He now realized he should have taken money when he destroyed Ideal Federal Savings Bank, but at the time he did not have enough clarity of mind.

But he didn't lead a luxurious life-style anyway, so he was glad to help people and make what he could out of that. It was a pleasant change.

What really made him enjoy his new life though was learning. About this era, about himself.

Food made him happy; rediscovering the tastes he liked. He learned he loved fruit, that he preferred dark over milk chocolate, that he liked his coffee black with a spoonful of sugar. He hated cauliflower with a passion. He liked beer but preferred whiskey.

He learned that tastes were likely to trigger memories. So he tried as many things as he could. Later he would write down everything new he ate and weather he liked it or not.

He figured out quite soon that he knew how to cook; the memory wasn't there but somewhere in his mind the knowledge remained, and his hands worked almost of their own free will. He wrote down everything he made too.

He liked going to the movies; he usually couldn't afford it more than once a month but he always saved some money for it. He watched some TV too, when he went to the pub. He loved reading too; though he had not been much of a reader back in the day, not as far as he could remember. He currently owned three books; he had bought them all from a bookstore that was going out of business and was selling them very cheap. _The Diary of a Young Girl_ , _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ , which the owner of the shop told him was a must-read and _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland._ That was his sister's favorite book when she was a kid.

It was the first think he had remembered about his sister, besides her vague existence. He knew her name was Rebecca, and his other siblings were Jack and Paul, but he had read all that in his biography at the museum. But when he saw the book he remembered. He remembered a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes, like himself, sitting on the floor with a book, _that_ book and himself taking it from her hands and holding it up high where she couldn't reach it and told her he would give it back only if she paid him with a hug and a kiss. She had kicked him in the shin. Her name was Rebecca. But he called her Becky. Bucky and Becky, the Barnes siblings.

That had made him smile.

He remembered that the twins were always out to pick on her, but never wanted to play with her. They were rascals, those two. Not even Bucky had been safe from their pranks; the only person Jack and Paul ever feared was their mother.

They were dead now, he knew. He had searched. Both dead before their time. Paul had only been 25 when he got into a car accident. Jack died at Vietnam, when he was still 38.

But Becky was alive.

He had spent many nights wondering about her. If she knew about him. Did he have nieces and nephews? He must have. Had she told them about him as they were growing up? Uncle Bucky, who had died a hero. Did she know what he had done; what he had become? Did she forgive him? Was there somewhere in Brooklyn an old lady with eyes like his, wondering where her brother was? Would she even want to see him?

He didn't know. Part of him didn't want to know. He had thought of looking for her, but he didn't dare do it. How would she react if one day she opened the door and saw her brother there? Her brother who died 70 years ago, her brother who back, her brother who would look at her with the same face as the one she had said goodbye too, her brother who had held her book up and asked for a hug and a kiss, her brother who was a wanted killer. He couldn't do this to her, wouldn't risk endangering her. Not his Becky.

He also thought about the tombs. His parents' graves, his bothers' graves. His own empty one. He thought of poor Becky, leaving flowers to them all, all her dead brothers and her mom and dad.

Thoughts like these kept him sleepless at night.

But then again, he didn't _want_ to sleep. Sleep meant not being in control. Sleep meant memories he would rather keep buried; nightmares that woke him up screaming, that turned every shadow into an enemy, that left him curled in the dark corners of his room like a caged animal. If he was to be haunted by his memories, he would rather think of his sister and stay sleepless.

Sometimes, he thought of Steve too.

By now, he had remembered him. And he was worried about him. He had no doubts that he was looking for him; and not to kill him. Honorable fool that he was, Steve would want to save him, would want for the world to forgive him. The boy never learned when a fight was a lost cause.

Bucky didn't want to be forgiven, didn't think he _should_ be forgiven. It was not his fault, what he had become. But he still was who he was, had done what he had done.

Innocent people where dead because of him; why he had killed was of little importance.

They haunted him too at nights; the faces of everyone he had killed. He had made a point to remember them. Every single one.

He sickened himself. Sometimes memories would come and he would scream and break anything he found. A little boy. A woman who had begged him for mercy. Howard. He had killed Howard. His very reflection disgusted him; he wanted to rip that accursed arm off. He had returned to Ideal Federal Savings Bank and destroyed everything inside; yet he had let those men live. Sometimes he wanted to go find them, them and every single one of his makers and kill them; and if they were already dead, he wanted to burn down their graves.

But these kind of thoughts belonged to the monster they had made him.

He was Bucky.

He was the Winter Soldier.

He was both, and he needed to make peace with that, somehow.

Bucky enjoyed his nights least of everything.

But he thought he was as well as he could be.

He had food, a way to make a living, a roof above his head. Most importantly, he had his freedom. And, despite his better judgment, he had even a few people he could call friends. The lady at the market who always saved him fresh fruit, the old bartender in the seedy pub he frequented who told him stories and poured him his drink as soon as he walked in. The old lady who lived two floors below him.

None of these people seemed to suspect him. For all who asked, he was Sergiu Gheorghescu from Constanța, and since his Romanian was flawless, no one even questioned it. Generally he didn't face any trouble, since most people seemed to avoid him instinctively. There was something about him that seemed to say "this man is dangerous".

That morning had been a rare exception.

That particular day, he entered his apartment building late in the afternoon. Going up the stairs he heard the footsteps of someone going up in front of him, and soon enough an old lady carrying bags with groceries entered in his line of vision.

She turned to see who was coming; her face was old and withered, but it was clear that in her young age she would have been a beauty.

"Good evening, Ms. Konstantinidou." he greeted in Romanian.

"My evening will be good when we install a damned elevator in this place, Sergiu dear." She said with raised eyebrows and a faint smile "Now come here and help an old, fragile woman out."

 _I've never met a least fragile person in my life._

He didn't say that out loud though, since he was quite sure she would smack him. Instead he nodded.

Adriana Konstantinidou was ninety-two years old, tough, proud and sharp as a knife. A tiny woman with white hair and a pair of piercing green eyes, she was a ballerina in her youth and despite her age, her posture was still straight, her steps sure and strong.

As Bucky took the bags from her hands, she smacked his head.

"That was calling me by that fool's surname again. I'm starting to believe you are doing it to irk me."

"I would never."

He actually did call her by her surname on purpose; but not to irk her. Mrs. Adriana had met her husband during WWII; when she was working as a nurse. He was a Greek soldier she tended to. Bucky could not remember how her husband had found himself to Romania, but he knew that he had been a very insistent on taking his nurse out for a date; to which she would reply "once you get better". The doctors where not expecting him to live. Soon he was send back to Greece, to die home. Two months later, he walked into the hospital "with the most ridiculous smile I've seen, that clown!" and a bouquet of flowers and asked what time he should pick her up for the date.

They got married the next year.

She always nattered about the surname, but she always made a point to teach people how to pronounce it and whenever someone made fun of it, her eyes would gleam so dangerously that Bucky had pitied those foolish enough. She loved her surname, because it reminded her of her husband. He had passed away six years ago, and she still had not forgiven him for having the audacity to die first.

"So how have you been doing, Sergiu?"

He shrugged.

"Did someone cut your tongue, dear?"

"No, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh you are clever. You always tell me what I want to hear, but we both know you never mean it. That's why you've still to meet a girl."

He sighed and ignored the quip. Since she learned he had no parents, Ms. Adriana had basically decided to adopt him, and so had started the age-old bickering. He had given up on protesting a long time ago.

"Oh ignoring me now, are you? Well what to expect! Boys. I made four of those stupid creatures you know, not a single girl. I blame Nickola for that. Four sons, one husband, even the damn cat was male; that is too much testosterone in one house for a single woman to handle. And when I though perhaps the boys would bring nice girls home so I could finally have some people with brains to call family, nooo, three managed to run away in different countries and get married there, so that I've seen my daughters in law only at their weddings, and the youngest brought me a boy, a great boy, I'm not complaining, bless his soul I still don't know what he sees in my son, but I've had enough boys to last me a lifetime, been surrounded with them my entire life, and let me tell you, you boys are a bunch of brainless baboons. What do you say to that?"

He had heard that monologue too many times to actually take her seriously; she loved her sons fiercely. A popular story in the building concerned her dumping a cup of coffee in the face of the drug dealer, because he had made a rude remark about her son and his partner.

"If you say so, ma'am."

"I sense sarcasm. The nerve of you younglings!" she said and smacked him in the hand; the normal one. He always made sure to keep the metal arm on the side of the wall.

She reached her apartment, unlocked her door and nodded for him to get inside.

It was a small apartment, with old wooden furniture and covered in floral patterns and old photographs; a classic image of a sweet grandma's house which was broken only by the grandma herself.

"Just leave these over there." she said, showing the general area of kitchen.

"Tea?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Perhaps not-"

"Nonsense. I shall be very hurt if you deny my offering. Now sit your butt down and keep an old lonely woman some company."

With a ghost of a smile, Bucky obliged. She was rude and brash and she reminded him very much of his mother.

On the table, he saw a platter with some black objects residing inside. He frowned and looked closer. They appeared to be some short of pastries, of no particular shape, that seemed to be both burned and raw at the same time, with black goo here and there.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you."

"What are they?" he pointed at them as she brought over two cups of tea.

She looked at the platter, and sighed.

"Chocolate chip cookies."

He looked at them in slight horror, wondering if she was expecting him to eat one.

Seeing his expression, a smile cracked her face.

"Don't worry; though tempting, I'm not making you try them. The laughs are not worth poisoning you."

She sat down opposite to him.

"Since you weren't familiar with these" she said, nodding towards the cookies "I suppose then you haven't met your new neighbor yet."

Bucky froze.

Yes, he had spent his days in Romania more pleasantly than he was expecting.

That's why he was worried.

He was alerted to his new neighbor's presence early on; he had heard someone humming through the extremely thin joined wall their apartments shared, but hadn't paid any mind; after all neighbors barely acknowledged each other in this building.

He was quite shocked when she spoke to him; the worst part being that there had been a flash of surprise on her face when she saw him. Her accent also pointed out she was not Romanian.

Had she recognized him? If she had, she was good at hiding it. The few times in the past when someone had recognized him, Bucky had clearly seen fear. This girl was not afraid, or eager to get away. Nervous perhaps; but definitely not scarred.

He wasn't sure what to do yet; he didn't want to leave. While in Bucharest, he had come the closest to being Bucky Barnes again. He liked it here.

 _One nervous girl will not be enough to make me run._

"What does she have to do with those?"

"Oh, so you _did_ meet her?" the old woman smiled.

"In the morning."

"Sweet girl, bless her soul. Absolutely stupid though."

He frowned.

"Why?"

"Well, she made cookies –well, _tried_ to anyway– to offer to her neighbors to say hello and introduce herself."

Bucky blinked in disbelief.

"Which…neighbors…?"

"All of them. The girls on the first floor were amused; the called her in and treated her coffee. The junkies were delighted to have cookies. The dealer I believe shut his door in her face while screaming insults; not that she understood them, her Romanian is truly terrible. I pulled her in here before she went to the creep. The girl has no idea where exactly she came to stay, I fear. First time living alone in a big city, no wonder."

"Where is she from?"

"America."

 _America._

He realized he was clenching his hand harder than he should just in time to save the teacup from shattering.

"Yes, someplace I can't remember. Something about National Parks and very few people. Near the place where the copper was...oh, I'm so forgetful these days…Montana! From a state near Montana."

 _Wyoming?_

He forced a smile.

"Geography was never my strong point, I fear."

"It wasn't mine either, but the States I knew when I was young. I went to America for my honeymoon; to New York, what a glorious time we had." Adriana said and pointed at a picture on top of a dusty piano "There we are, in front of the Empire State Building, ugly thing, but imposing. Those Americans lack finesse, but the know how to be grand, I give them that. "

Bucky looked at the picture and nodded.

"Loved that picture, your neighbor; said what a nice couple we were, showed me a picture of her own in front of that monstrosity. Only other place besides her State she's been to before coming here; her brother works there. Wanted her to stay there for university instead of coming here."

"She's here for studies?" Bucky raised an eyebrow.

 _Who on Earth would chose Bucharest over New York?_

"Ah yes, some post-graduate degree on Folklore or something. No idea what it has to do with her degree though, she's a botanist. Kept babbling something about flowers and symbolism, but I wasn't listening."

 _A botanist from Wyoming coming to Bucharest to study folklore while living in one of the most dangerous districts of the city._

He tried to decide if the absurdity made him consider it more possible or not.

 _Is she a spy?_

He tried to remember her. Medium height; thin and judging from the amount of huffing while she was climbing up the stairs, she didn't have much stamina. Form of someone who had been athletic but had let it go for a while. But if she was a spy, she would have known better than to let surprise show on her face.

 _No_ , he decided, _not likely._ _I'm being paranoid._

But he had to be. Hydra may have been supposedly eliminated, but whatever was left of them would want him back; he knew that. He would not do them the favor.

But he wasn't leaving Bucharest, not unless he was sure she was a threat.

 _Then again, SHIELD had neighbor spying on Steve_.

 _Perhaps he decided it was a good idea and sent her to keep an eye on me._

But that was wishful thinking.

 _Facts, Bucky. Learn the facts._

"However did she manage to tell you all of this in broken Romanian?"

Ms. Konstantinidou looked at him with raised eyebrows, looking rather insulted for some reason.

"She didn't. We spoke in English, _of course_."

"You speak English?" he asked, taken aback.

She scoffed.

"Dear, how do you think Nick kept asking me on dates? He didn't speak a word in Romanian. I speak English, French and Russian; I play the piano. I may not seem like it, but I have more knowledge in my little finger than most people living in this building combined."

Bucky raised a hand.

"I made no offence ma'am. I didn't know."

"You would have to try harder to offend me, dear and of course you didn't know, since I never told you. So…" she said, putting her teacup on the table and giving him an inquiring look "What did _you_ think of her?"

Bucky looked at the old lady in confusion.

"What did I think of her?"

The woman sighed and looked at the ceiling as if asking God to bestow her with patience.

"Do I have to spell everything out to you? Chloe, you neighbor! You met her, what do you think of her?"

Bucky shrugged.

"She just said good morning to me. She seemed nice, I suppose."

"Yes, we established that she's nice. Nice and naïve and it will get her in trouble if she's not careful. Pretty little things like her are hard to go unnoticed."

He narrowed his eyes.

 _What is she getting at?_

As if she read his mind, she sighed and put her teacup down.

"What I'm saying Sergiu, is that she's a pretty girl who will need someone to look after her."

Bucky couldn't help but smile and snort in exasperation.

 _Unbelievable._

Placing his teacup on the table as well, he smiled to the old woman and got up.

"Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Adriana."

She growled.

"Fine, young man! Keep dodging my advice! Nick didn't listen to me either and see where that got him!"

"Didn't he die of old age, in his sleep?"

"Yes the absolute moron, he made sure even his death was boring!"

Bucky snickered and opened the door.

"Have a nice evening, ma'am."

"Sergiu." she called and he turned to see her staring at him seriously "Joking aside. I want you to keep an eye out for her. I like her."

"I thought she was an idiot?"

"Absolutely. Make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble. For me."

Bucky looked at the old lady, who reminded him of his mother. Perhaps even of how he imagined his sister would be like.

He nodded.

"Good." she said, and Bucky knew she meant 'thank you'.

He lingered at the doorway, smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" she snapped "Off with you now!"

"Of course, Ms. Konstantinidou…" he said seriously and closed the door behind him.

The smile returned on his lips as he heard her muffled voice yelling.

 _"_ _Call me that again and I'll bury you!"_

He climbed the stairs to his floor, eyeing the door next to his before unlocking his door. The shuffling sound alerted him that his new neighbor was home.

He entered his apartment and locked his door; sat on a chair that was about to collapse and remained there in deep thought as the girl's steps echoed through the wall. He listened to her coming and going for a while.

 _Is she pretty?_

He hadn't taken note of that. Bucky Barnes would have never missed such a detail.

He tried to remember her face.

Creamy skin, with freckles sprayed across the bridge of a straight thin nose. Rosy lips, big round brown eyes framed my thick eyelashes, auburn hair; probably died judging from the colour.

She must have been tired from her journey: she had dark circles under her eyes and hair had stuck out of her ponytail like fireworks. But her smile had been bright and her cheeks red.

 _Yes, definitely pretty_ , he decided, _in a girl-next-door kind of way._

He sighed. Was that one more reason for him to be suspicious?

 _"_ _There was a boy…a very strange, enchanted boy…"_

He raised his head. Through the wall, he heard the muffled sound of singing. He didn't know the song.

But then again he knew very few songs.

" _They say he wondered very far, very far…through land and sea…"_

She had a nice voice, very sweet and melodic, though clearly not trained.

He listened.

" _A little shy and sad of eye, but very wise was he."_

It was a nice song. He closed his eyes and let a heavy breath escape his lips.

Perhaps she had recognized him. Perhaps she was a spy. Perhaps she was just who she said she was.

 _Whatever the case, I need to keep an eye on her._

* * *

 _Song in the chapter:_

 ** _Nature Boy_** _–_ _Nat King Cole_


	3. Chapter 3: Oops

_Guess who's back? Back again?_

 _Thank you all so much for all the amazing feedback! I'm truly overwhelmed with all the positivity! You're all amazing!_

 _Well, it seems that I do have time to write after all, so I suppose I can safely say that I will be updating twice a month! Hooray!_

 _By the way, can I ask you fanfiction veterans a question? What precisely is the difference between views and visitors in the stats? And on a different matter; how does one find a beta? Just to check my spelling and grammar._

 _Oh! Last time I forgot to thank all the lovely guest reviewers!_ _ **Thank you**_ _!_

 _So, apparently someone asked Sebastian Stan how Bucky was paying his rent and bills in Bucharest, and he seemed as baffled as I was when trying to find a realistic solution. Though his answer was by far better than mine. It was "I don't know, with plums?"_

 _Once again foiled by Sebastian Stan's glory! :P_

 _Please don't get mad…Maybe there are more new side characters again in this chapter?_

 _–_ _dodges rotten egg–_

 _I just couldn't help it…Sorry._

 _Anyway, as promised, we get an official meeting in this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!_

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _P.S. I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 3: Oops…**

Commuting to the university was her least favorite part of the day.

She had to walk fifteen minutes to _Pantelimon_ station, take the train, switch lines at _Piața Unirii_ station and then reach _Universitate_ and off to class she was. Thankfully, since most of her classes took place during the afternoon so that students who worked could attend, she didn't have to wake up early. With the exception of Thursdays.

She wasn't fond of Thursdays.

That particular Thursday morning, as the alarm went off on her phone, Chloe groaned and hit snooze violently. Turning on her back, she stared at the cracks on the ceiling and wondered if she would be lucky enough for the plaster to fall and rent her unconscious; thus saving her from the horror of getting up. Which didn't happen. So, after briefly considering faking sickness or her death, after snuggling in her blankets and burying her face in her pillow; and after the alarm went off once more, she sighed and rolled out of bed.

Her feet padding softly on the floor, she entered her kitchen and absentmindedly opened two wrong cupboards before she found the one where she kept the coffee and sugar. As she waited for the water in the kettle to boil, she opened the fridge and blinked sleepily as she found it quite empty. She closed and opened it again, as if food would magically appear if she did.

 _Well, I'll grab something at the cafeteria I suppose. And I'll have to get groceries later…_

There were a few drops of milk left, which she put in her coffee with a sigh.

Cup of coffee in hand, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she grabbed a watering can, filled it with water and headed to the living room.

Her plants had arrived in small doses, and still she was waiting for a few to arrive during the week. Apparently, transporting flora across continents proved to be more difficult than she had expected. Her Phytosanitary Certification took ages to come out and even with it, some of her flowers had to remain in Wyoming. That had really hurt her, but she knew they would be in good hands; and she hoped she would be able to get them all to Bucharest, sooner or later. From her normal collection of sixty plants, only twelve had been able to make the trip: the ones that she loved too much to leave behind and she knew would survive the trip. Everything else she had entrusted to her family and the rare or poisonous ones she had sent to her favorite teacher, back to the University of Wyoming. Of course she had already bought a few houseplants, since if her apartment didn't look like a greenhouse, it wouldn't feel like home.

She carefully watered them all; making sure that even in her sleepy state she gave each the proper amount of water, checked if any looked ill, trimmed a few stray leafs from her bonsai. Taking care of her plants usually occupied her for quite a long time, and she would probably be late; but she could never half-ass taking care of her babies, and she also couldn't wake up early enough to follow her morning routine at her leisure.

Finally finishing with the watering, she placed the watering can on the window still and reached for her coffee that lay on the table; which didn't go as planned. She knocked the cup over with her hand, splashing coffee all over the floor.

"Shit."

 _Great, now I will definitely be late_ , she thought as she grabbed the mop and bucket.

Five minutes later, the floor was clean and Chloe headed to the bathroom, only to puff with desperation.

Her hair was a complete bird's nest, and she didn't have time for anything but a quick shower.

"Lovely. Abso-fucking-lutely lovely!" she growled and grabbed a comb. Finally she managed to somehow untangle them and braid them into pigtails.

 _I'll put a beanie on, and I'll look great. Maybe._

She had just finished her shower and brushing her teeth when she heard her phone ring. Dumping her toothbrush she treaded to her nightstand and seeing the caller ID, she raised an eyebrow and picked up.

"Why the fuck are you awake?"

 _"_ _Hello to you to, bitchy McBitch."_ Sophie's voice answered from the other line.

"Hey nerd!" she said, grinning "But seriously, what time is it there?"

 _"_ _Relax, it's just 12:00, do the math!"_

"Oh, I'm sorry for worrying about your well-being!" Chloe said in with a fake insulted tone.

" _Oh, that's rich coming from you! I suppose waking me up at seven o'clock in the morning to tell me that your neighbor is hot was vital to my well-being_."

Chloe gasped.

"How dare you?! That was a matter of utmost importance! You wouldn't understand!"

Sophie's signature snore like laugh echoed from the line.

 _"_ _I miss you, Chlo."_

"I miss you to, nerd." Chloe said with a smile "Mind if I put you on speaker? I'm getting ready for class."

"Sure go ahead!" Sophie said.

Chloe placed her phone on the table and headed for the bundle of clothes that through the course of her stay had slowly but surely migrated from her closet to a chair; grabbed a t-shirt and after a sniff and an approving nod, she put it on.

"So how are you doing? How's life without me?" she asked, pulling a pair of jeans over her legs.

" _Agonizing_." Sophie said drily.

"You're breaking my heart here, Phi-phi." Chloe said, travelling back to the bathroom

 _"_ _It's been a month, Chlo, I got used to it, and it's not like we've lived in the same place for the past five years. Also if you call me Phi-phi one more time I will literally break your heart, along with every bone in your body."_

"As you say, Phi-phi" she said placing the phone on the bathroom stall she fumbled around her make-up bag, looking for something.

" _I'll ignore that. So how about you? Shouldn't you already be on the go?_ "

"Yeah, I was delayed." Chloe said, finally finding her mascara and hastily putting some on; just to make sure she didn't look dead.

 _"_ _By what?"_

"The bed. It was just refusing to let go of me." Chloe said seriously, retrieving some Chapstick from the depth of the bag.

 _"_ _So clingy."_

"Yep!" she said, smacking her lips and fumbling around the bag "Though I also had a futile quest for breakfast, took care of the babies _and_ had to clean my floor, since I managed to spill my coffee."

 _"_ _Well, that explains it."_ Sophie said, as Chloe found her rouge _"What are doing now?"_

"Make-up."

 _"_ _Aren't you_ ** _late_** _?"_

"Yep."

" _Chloe I swear to god, get your butt-"_

"Done!" Chloe smiled, throwing her stuff back in the bag "You happy?"

 _"_ _Rarely."_

Chloe rolled her eyes and went back to the living room, momentarily forgetting to take her phone, and running back to retrieve it.

 _"_ _Did you just forget me?"_

"Perhaps."

 _"_ _Unbelievable."_

"You love me." Chloe said, putting her boots on.

" _I do, damn me_." Sophie sighed " _So are you a sexy beast, ready to conquer the men of Bucharest?_ "

Chloe snickered and grabbed her cardigan. Though it was only October, the cold in Romania was not be messed with.

"Yes, a true femme fatale." she said sarcastically, swinging her backpack over her shoulder and unlocking her door.

 _"_ _Ready to woo the sexy neighbor?"_

"Well, I would need to find him first!" Chloe said, and grabbed the phone "Can you wait for a sec?"

" _Yep._ "

Chloe turned the speaker off, and locked the door while balancing her phone between shoulder and ear.

"Okay, we're good. Now as I was saying, the dude is seriously like a ghost! I only hear his door opening and closing, he barely makes a sound when he's in his apartment and I just catch glimpses of him here and there."

" _Chloe, he's a vampire._ "

Chloe's laughter bounced off the walls of the building, as she started descending the stairs.

" _Think about it! Enigmatic, mysterious, elusive, good-looking! It makes complete sense_."

"I think mysterious and enigmatic mean basically the same thing."

" _Details._ " Sophie huffed " _Does he talk with a sexy Romanian accent?_ "

"We've never actually talked, and how could he _not_ have Romanian accent while speaking Romanian?" Chloe said between giggles, not hearing the footsteps coming up the stairs.

" _I mean in English, smarty-pants_."

"I'm absolutely sure he doesn't speak English."

" _So it all comes down to body language…So sexy._ "

"Should I drop my keys next time we see each other?"

" _Oops, silly me, I dropped this, let me slowly bent to pick it_ _up!_ "

Another outburst of giggles escaped Chloe's lips, but she drowned it as finally noticed someone coming up the stairs the opposite way.

"Well, speaking of the handsome devil…" she mumbled.

" _What? He's there?!_ "

"Yep." Chloe said, smiling widely at him as their eyes met and silently muttered through her teeth "Oh my god Sophie, he so hot."

" _Pretend that you're fainting_."

"On the stairs?" Chloe said to the phone and waived hello as he nodded politely towards her, and she observed something that could only be a smirk on his lips.

"Oh my god he smiled at me, Sophie help, I'm gonna die, it should be illegal to look like that." she mumbled once again, keeping her smile intact until he was far behind her.

" _Are you_ ** _sure_** _he doesn't speak English_?"

"Yeah, don't worry; boss-ass-old lady told me she's sure he doesn't. Then again she told me that the first month he moved here she thought he was mute." Chloe said, now far away from hearing distance.

Sophie laughed.

" _I love boss-ass-old lady_."

"Yeah, she's awesome. But seriously, he has heard me express myself quite vividly once, and if he understood a single word that came out of my potty mouth, I think he would have looked even a little bit shocked.

" _Oh dear, why were you upset?"_

"Cause Madison's boyfriend decided to feed my Venus flytrap bacon, and now it's a goner!"

" _Don't you have five of those demon plants?_ "

"Serena was family and she's dead Sophie! Dead!"

" _Okay chill."_

" **I am chill!** " Chloe screamed at the phone and Sophie laughed.

Chloe closed her eyes and heard the ridiculous laughter of her best friend, and for a moment really, _really_ missed home.

* * *

"Well, well, well, look who's finally here!"

Chloe dropped her gaze to her feet, blushing.

"I'm sorry, professor."

The man puckered his lips in disdain.

"Take a seat, Chloe."

Chloe looked up at the auditorium, scanning the room; a girl with long brown hair waved at her and Chloe headed her way with a smile.

"I kept you a seat." the girl said, in a hushed tone.

"I love you."

"I know."

Chloe tried to stifle her laughter, as the girl winked. At that moment, she felt someone poking the back of her head.

"Where were you, freckles? We feared one of those piranha pants of yours ate you."

The boy seating behind her was tall, with golden tousled hair, baby-blue eyes framed by glasses and the cutest dimples. Chloe pouted.

"What do you all have against my poor Venus flytraps?"

"They are scary as hell?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's kinda true." the girl next to her agreed.

"Well, I'll have you know that-"

"Chloe, Ekaterina, Vasili!"

They all winced as the professor's raised voice cut their conversation.

"Unless you're talking about the matter of national identity, I fear you will have to write an essay on the subject for the next class."

"Actually sir, they were." a voice said from behind them "Chloe just pointed out how cultural identity seems to appear on varying levels among migrant families of different ethnicities."

Chloe turned to look at the final member of her new company, Andrei, a young man with brown hair and a thick beard; and gave him a huge smile as he winked at her.

"Is that what you were talking about, Chloe?"

"Yes sir."

"Would you then like to share your opinions with the class, instead of keeping them for your friends?"

"Of course sir." she said as sweetly as she could and started talking.

* * *

"You, Mr. Ardelean, are a true hero!" Vasili said, as they exited the class and patted Andrei in the back.

"Yeah, but why me?" Chloe asked in despair "Mr. Iliescu _hates_ me!"

"Yes, but you actually do have an opinion on the subject!" Andrei said "You had something to talk about! Vasili over here would just stare at the ceiling and Kat would probably end up giving him a lecture about how much he sucks."

"Well, he would deserve it!" Ekaterina scoffed "That guy's an asshole!"

"Also, freckles, you were late, so you kinda deserved punishment." Vasili winked.

"Not true, I didn't do it for that!" Andrei exclaimed, as he opened the cafeteria door for them to pass.

"I know Andrei; you're a good person, unlike Mr. Smarty-pants over here!" Chloe said, glaring at Vasili "And I'm a woman with responsibilities, I have babies to feed!"

"Plants are not sentient, Chloe…" Vasili sighed, sitting down on a table.

" _You_ are not sentient!" Chloe hissed at him.

"Oh, what a comeback, Chloe, you really shut him down there." said a monotone female voice.

With a scowl, Chloe turned to face a grinning Annika.

"Good morning to you too."

"Good morning there, Pipi Longstocking!" she said pointing at her braids with a crooked smirk as she joined their table "And good morning everyone. You all look grumpy."

"Spending the first three hours of your day with Prof Iliescu is rarely a cheerful affair…" Chloe growled "And to answer to your rude remark; complex comebacks go over Vasili's head."

"Hey!" Vasili exclaimed, but the rest laughed.

Chloe sat back and looked at her new friends, laughing and bickering with each other, and for a moment, she didn't miss home at all.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Chloe finally arrived back at Pantelimon district, ready to go home, take her pants off and spend the rest of her day in bed with a nice cup of coffee, some music and a good book.

But alas, grocery shopping had to come first.

Usually she shopped from the place Annika worked; which as she found out, belonged to Annika's uncle; who turned out to be a very unlikable person, so Chloe avoided shopping there in the afternoons, when she knew he was there. Also, the variety of products it provided was limited, and she had an entire fridge to store.

So she headed for the supermarket, which was admittedly much farther away from her home than she liked; walking that distance in the cold with heavy bags was not her ideal way of spending her afternoon. But she didn't have much of a choice.

In the supermarket, she grabbed a cart, throwing in some fruit and vegetables, milk, cereal, some sour cherry juice –something she had first tried here and loved- and a considerate amount of instant noodles and microwave meals.

 _So much for learning how to cook…Do I need shampoo? Yeah, I do._

Whistling, she went down the aisle, looking for her favorite shampoo; rose-scented for dyed hair. She had been using it for so long that the scent of it had become as much of an identifiable trait of hers as her appearance or voice.

She was about to put it in her cart when she paused, looked at it, and placed it back on the shelf. Instead, she picked a peach and honey scented one that was right next to her usual shampoo.

 _New life, new scent._

 _Aaaand let's get some TP and provisions for the monthly subscription to Satan's bloodbath and we're done!_

Humming happily, she dumped her staff on the register, and tried to ignore the judgmental look the cashier gave her after scanning the seventh instant noodles package.

 _Jeez lady, I didn't kill your dog, calm yourself! I don't have time to cook…_

She was also, maybe, kinda useless as a cook. Not for lack of trying; she just seemed to gloriously suck at it.

With a sigh, and still avoiding the woman's sharp gaze, she paid, thanked her, and hurriedly picked up her bags; almost dropping them.

 _Shit, they're heavy…_

 _I really need to start working out._

Finally she managed to distribute the bags in each hand so that the weigh was relatively balanced; and out the door she went, dreaming of a nice hot bath, pajamas and coffee. Perhaps something sweet…

 _Nooooo I forgot to get desert!_

She was too far away from the supermarket and about to despair, when she noticed a bakery in the corner.

 _Do I enter with shit-ton of bags just to appease my sweet-tooth?_

She peered through the window, and her gaze fell on a lady taking a batch of freshly baked blueberry muffins out of the oven.

 _Yes. Yes I do._

Pausing for a minute, she distributed her purchases into as few bags as possible; looking admittedly less ridiculous.

Five minutes later, she was practically skipping down the street, two bags dangling from her right hand and one on the crook of her left elbow, along with a burning-hot muffin carefully held between her fingers, ready to be consumed as soon as it was cool enough.

 _Worth it._

As she entered her building, not even the sight of the stairs could make her mood drop. Climbing the steps with a happy bounce, she smiled at two of the girls talking on the corridor of the first floor, made her mandatory stop at the fourth floor to catch her breath , and felt a flicker of hope as she finally climbed the steps between fifth and sixth floor.

 _Almost there!_

That's was when the bag dangling from her left arm ripped.

Almost in slow motion, she saw food and products plummeting down the stairs, her hand that was suddenly relived of weight jerking up, the muffin slipping from her fingers and forming an arch in the air.

Time started again, as the muffin landed on the intermediate landing with a loud "splat", and a bottle of sour-cherry juice exploded as it hit the ground; splashing on the walls, floor, and Chloe.

Chloe stood still, blinking in shock; covered from head to toe with dripping red liquid, still holding the blue torn bag in midair. A can of beans was still tumbling down the stairs, making her wince at every "clang" it produced while falling down each step; until it finally stopped.

She slowly turned her head and looked at the piece of torn plastic in her hand, then at her clothes, then at her muffin. Very calmly, she put the two remaining bags down, pulled the torn one off her arm, sat down on the steps, and buried her face in her palms.

And _screeched_.

 _Fuck me, fuck this shit, no,_ no _,_ ** _no_** _, it was turning out to be a good day, a damn_ ** _good_** _day, I had a nice muffin, what the fuck, what the_ _fuck_ _karma?_

And that's when, too late, she heard steps coming up the stairs.

Chloe's head jerked up in shock.

 _Oh shit a neighbor, shit I was screaming, shit what do I-_

And then she froze as the owner of the footsteps appeared on the landing, holding the accursed can of beans.

She sat there, drenched in bright red juice, surrounded by scattered packages of instant noodles, apples, tampons, and a sad bunch of crumbs that used to be her dreamy muffin; staring in horror at the big blue eyes of her next door neighbor.

He look around, then back at her, and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you alright?"

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

 _ **Shit**_.

"Miss?"

She remained looking at him with eyes as wide as plates, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

 _You speak English. He speaks English. I'm covered in cherry juice._

She barely managed to stop herself from bursting into hysterical laugher. Instead, she finally managed to stop gawking at him and found her voice.

"Yeah, I'm, um, fine! Thank you! S-sorry for the mess!"

He looked around.

"What happened?"

She slowly raised the ripped plastic bag and grimaced.

"The b-bag committed horrible treachery?" she said, her voice rising slightly at end, making it sound like a question.

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips and he exhaled sharply through his nose in amusement, yet with a pitying look in his eyes.

"Do you want help?" he asked, motioning towards the mess.

"Oh, no, please, I wouldn't want to trouble you, I'll, um, I'll manage, no need to waste your time!"

 _Girl calm down! He'll think you're neurotic!_

"I don't have something to do right now, don't worry."

Chloe couldn't stop herself from smiling at him in complete and utter gratitude.

"T-Thank you so much, Mr.…?"

"Sergiu Gheorghescu." he said, extending hand.

Chloe smiled and was about to shake his hand when she realized hers was covered with drying, sticky cherry juice.

"Chloe Paylor." she said with an apologetic smile as she raised her hand to show him it would probably be better if she didn't touch his.

He offered her a small smile and Chloe felt her face burning.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Paylor."

Chloe shook her hands in panic.

"Oh, no, please call me Chloe! Ms. Paylor makes me feel like my grandma!"

He nodded.

"Chloe it is then."

She smiled and looked at him, waiting.

Silence fell, and suddenly Chloe realized she was staring. Again.

Jerking herself back to her feet and looking around, she cleared her throat.

"Yeah, I should, um, probably get on picking these up." she smiled, feeling as awkward as she did when she was thirteen and asking her crush out.

He nodded, and hell-bent on not making more of a fool of herself, Chloe started picking up stuff and gathering them in her arms.

 _He speaks English. I called Maddie's boyfriend a wankefaced arsebadger in front of him. I-_

 _Shit._

She stared at the floor in complete and utter horror.

 _The phone call with Sophie this morning._

 _No._

 _ **Noooooooooo!**_

 _God's why?!_

"So…" his voice came from behind her; he was gathering stuff from the floor too.

She almost dropped everything and ran away to hide away in a hole to never be seen by humanity ever again.

 _Stop acting like you didn't hear, you heard, I know you did, I'm a lonely crazy plant lady who lives off of microwave food!_

"You're American, right?"

Chloe, taking a deep calming breath and avoiding his eyes, made herself smile as she balanced a box of cereal on her pile.

"Yes, yes I am!"

"Where from?"

"Wyoming." she said pleasantly "It's um-"

"The cowboy state." he said matter-of-factly.

Chloe smiled then in complete honesty and gave him an impressed look.

"Yeah, it is!"

He nodded and approached her, standing right in front of her with a few of her things in his arms.

Chloe blinked and looked at him.

"What?"

"Won't you give me those?" he said, pointing at her full hands.

Chloe shook her head in surprise.

"T-There's really no need for-" she began to say, but he was already removing them from her hands and taking them in his own.

"But-" she tried to protest, but a severe look from him made her stop.

"You sir, are the most aggressively polite person I've met." Chloe said with an awed smile.

He didn't answer to that, but grabbed the remaining plastic bags.

"Wait no!" Chloe exclaimed "I will get those."

"There is no need."

Chloe huffed and walked up to him, trying to put on a face of authority.

"You will give me those bags, or I…I will refuse to unlock my house, and you'll have to take those. Yes."

He stared at her in silence. Chloe clenched her jaw, and raised her chin in defiance, trying to keep herself calm under his piercing blue gaze.

 _Oh, I see you, you little bastard. If you think your smolder will bend my will, you are sorely mistaken._

Finally, and after a few seconds of an intense staring contest, he extended a single bag towards her.

"Both." Chloe said curtly.

"One." he said, and his tone was so definitive that Chloe decided that this was a fight she could not win.

"Fine…" she groaned and took the bag.

Looking back, she saw the mess that still adorned the stairs: cherry juice and the fallen muffin. Seeing the last, Chloe whined piteously.

"My muffin…" she lamented.

He followed her gaze and gave her a solemn look.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Chloe turned and looked at with raised eyebrows.

"Are you making fun of me, Mr. Gheorghescu?!"

He didn't answer, but started climbing the stairs.

With a surprised puff, she followed him.

"So, how did a girl from Wyoming find herself in Bucharest?" he asked when she caught up with him.

"My Master's degree. American Universities cost you a fortune, a blood sacrifice and your first born child, so…" she said her voice trailing off.

"What do you study?"

"Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, and Folklore."

"That sounds interesting."

"It is, most of the time."

"Was your first degree associated with that?"

"No, not really, it's in, um, in botany."

He stopped on his tracks and looked at her.

"Botany?"

"Yes." Chloe said while digging in her backpack for her keys, as they reached their floor and placed the grocery bags next to her door.

"How are those two associated?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked!" Chloe smiled, looking up from her quest "You see as a botanist, my main focus has always been taxonomy, that's the branch that basically tracks down all the different kinds of plants and puts them in families and larger groups and so on…" she explained "and I always found that I wanted to write a…hmm…let's say an encyclopedia that contains detailed descriptions of all plants, sketches and information about their taxonomy and uses and so on. That kind of thing exists of course, but what is usually overlooked is the cultural influence of the plant; for example most flowers have been assigned some symbolism throughout the ages and in different cultures or they are part of myths and songs and so on and that's where folklore comes in and…I'm blabbering, ain't I? I must have bored you to death with my yapping!"

"No, not at all." he said, leaning on the wall between their doors "It sounds like a very interesting project."

Chloe smiled.

"You're just being polite; if I start talking about plants I never shut up."

"Everyone does that about things they're passionate about." he assured her.

Chloe smiled at him, beaming.

 _What a nice guy._

 _And good looking._

 _And I've made a complete fool of myself._

 _Gaaaaaaaaah._

"So have you been to the States?" she asked to break the silence.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, you uh, no one even knows where Wyoming is, let alone its nickname, and you really don't have a hint of Romania accent, so I assumed you've spent some time there."

The expression on his face was one that she could not decode, not until a small smile appeared on his lips, and she realized it was melancholy.

"Yeah, I've been to the America."

She leaned on her door, waiting for the story.

And waited.

And waited.

 _Aaaand that's all you get Chloe._

Clearing her throat, she straightened up and nodded at his full hands.

"I'm sorry, so rude of me to have you holding those while I chatter about plants!" she said, manically looking for her keys.

"No, I enjoyed talking."

"Me too!" she said, finally fishing them from the depths of her bag and unlocking the door. As she opened the door she put the two groceries bags inside and extended her hands for him to place all loose products in her embrace.

He did so carefully, balancing each and every one with precision.

"Thank you so much!" Chloe said with absolute and sincere gratitude "For everything."

"No problem."

She lingered in her doorway a bit.

"Would you like to come in for some coffee? The house's a bit of a mess, but-"

"No, it's alright, thank you." he declined politely "I just had tea with Mrs. Konstantinidou."

"Oh, I see…" she said, trying to mask her disappointment "Perhaps another time. I will have to go clean the stairs too."

He nodded.

"Well, it was nice talking to you!"

"Same for me."

"Thank you again!" she said, feeling more and more awkward "See you around!"

Again, he just nodded and unlocked his door, giving her a final small smile.

Chloe shut her door and immediately leaned against it; holding onto the things in her hands tightly.

Taking a deep breath she looked up.

 _Alright karma. You might actually be okay, after all._

Then she looked down at her shirt.

 _I need to take a bath._

* * *

 _Song of the chapter:_

 **Tongue tied** – _Wanda Jackson_


	4. Chapter 4: A true menace indeed

_-immerges from pile of textbooks-_

 _I liiiiiive!_

 _Well, hello there! Exams are still going, but I'm managing!_

 _Thank you all so much for the great feedback! Reviews make my lil' heart sing! I am beyond glad you found the phone call entertaining! I had a blast writing that one._

 _And with no further ado, here we go! Enjoy!_

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 4: A true menace**

Sitting on his mattress, Bucky let his head rest on the wall behind him.

It all made sense now; the nervousness, the staring and looking away, the irregular breathing and shaking when he was around.

The girl didn't recognize him; didn't fear him. She _liked_ him.

Relief washed over him, and then realization struck. He didnt know if he should be laughing or crying at the absurdity.

All the obvious clues had been there; the blushing and smiling and the dilated pupils, and yet the idea had not even crossed his mind, not until he heard her talking to her friend.

It would be an understatement to say he had tried really hard not to inform her that he actually understood every word she was saying, but he was aware that it would have been too embarrassing. He had wondered if he should inform her at all.

But, although she hadn't recognised him, he had yet to completely dismiss the possibility of her being a spy. If she was one, she was damn good; perhaps even the whole crush was a façade. Bucky couldn't know that though, not unless he got closer; and to do that, he would need to talk to her, see if there were any irregularities in her story and persona.

So he would eventually have to speak English to her, dangerous as that may be. He hadn't originally planned to talk to her so soon after the phone-call incident though; but life had other plans, it seemed.

He had just returned home when he heard a great racket coming from upstairs and a can of beans came rolling down the stairs and stopped at his feet. Then he heard the scream.

And in this kind of neighborhood, screams are usually bad news. So when he saw the girl sitting in the midst of scattered objects and drenched in something red, he felt his run blood run cold. It was after she had shown him the torn groceries bag that he noticed that broken bottle that used to contain sour cherry juice on the floor and was able to relax and appreciate the catastrophe around him.

As well as the moment when complete realization hit her. He was quite sure she was just about to throw down her things and flee.

It was interesting studying the girl up close. With just one meeting he had gained more information about her than a month of observing and hearing stories from Mrs. Adrianna had provided him with.

She seemed to use humor as copping mechanism. She didn't enjoy being addressed formally because it aged her up, which suggested fear of growing old.

Confirming earlier indications and judging from the contents of her bag, she had no idea about cooking.

She deeply cared for her work; she had ambitions and a clear plan about achieving them.

She was talkative and she was curious, but not nosy.

She clearly loved her home, and it was safe to assume she also loved her family; yet she had left it all behind. That, combined with the fact that she tried to refuse his help multiple times even though she clearly needed it, suggested that she craved independence. That could stream either from the fact that she considered herself a burden or that she wanted to be stronger; probably both.

She also liked muffins.

He found it hard to mistrust a person that was that heartbroken over a muffin.

Generally, she seemed honest. Her story added up to what she had told Mrs. Konstantinidou.

Bucky wanted to believe Chloe Paylor was what she appeared to be: a young sweet girl that was all smiles and blushes; that liked muffins and flowers and singing.

And apparently, him.

He snorted in amusement, but his smile soon dropped.

The idea hadn't even _occurred_ to him, and he knew that he would have certainly taken wind of something like that before… _before_. Back when there was no chance of Bucky Barnes refusing a pretty girl some coffee; or not being the one to ask, for the matter. Back in the day when he would have offered to show her the city the very day she moved in; when he would at this point be familiar with her apartment. Perhaps with more than that.

 _Before._

Now, the very idea of a girl liking him... A part of him was certainly amused, and yes, even flattered, but it was a small part, and one he didn't linger on.

Mainly, it made him feel alone.

That very craving for companionship confused him. He knew that no one would stand by him, knowing who he was; and what could he himself offer to a companion? Emotionally he was drained and physically his body recognized proximity as a threat. And even if, somehow, he could overcome that, how could he trust himself close to anyone, when he didn't trust his own mind, when anything could trigger outbursts of extreme violence?

No, that chapter of his life was well and truly over.

He just hoped she got over it soon. Besides his own good interest, the girl herself would be better of turning her gaze elsewhere. Some boy her age, that would take her out to…well…

Bucky's eyebrows furrowed.

 _Where do people even go on dates nowadays?_

He had no clue.

And he didn't want to think about it. These were the kind of thoughts that he had been avoiding all this time, and having them worm their way in didn't please him. He had, during some sleepless nights and despite his better judgment, caught himself thinking what his life could have been like if he had returned from the war. He had allowed himself those thoughts because they were impossible; because Bucky Barnes died in that war, because all the girls he remembered where gone, because even if he had made it out unscathed Steve still wouldn't be there to be his best man. Because these were not thoughts of a future but of past that never was, and could never possibly be.

The theoretical _possibility_ of Chloe unsettled him. He didn't like her, but as soon as the prospect was presented to him, his mind had jumped to it; the same way you always look when someone tells not to look.

Anyway, amusing as her embarrassment was, he hoped this wouldn't last long. He didn't have it in him to be mean towards her on purpose nor did he expect he would have to. Some handsome boy would soon flirt with her, and that would be that. He wasn't vain enough to believe her interest extended any further than physical attraction.

Which, his own insecurities aside, Bucky still found incredibly amusing.

 _Still got it Barnes._

He didn't like her and he still suspected her, but he found that she didn't leave him indifferent either; he realized he was developing some kind of fondness for the kid. She seemed sweet, and oddly innocent, and yet somehow tough in her determination to remain kind in a place that wasn't. She was the kind of girl that he would have tried to introduce to Steve. He smiled as he imagined his friend's face if he witness her colorful vocabulary; something Bucky had found incredibly entertaining. To him, the foul language and boldness enhanched her naiveté further; like a child wearing their mom's high heels. He understood now why Mrs. Konstantinidou had asked him to look out for her: she was young, and sweet, and this place would tear her apart.

Unless, of course, if she playing them all for fools.

 _I can't know that. She's been here a month, and nothing has happened yet. If she's been planted here, she's either doing a bad job of lying low or a bad job of approaching me._

He sighed and got up. His tiny apartment, with its covered windows and old furniture grew claustrophobic during afternoons, when only a lamp illuminated the space.

 _I need to get some fresh air._

He was about to open his door when he heard the sound of two pairs of feet coming up the stairs, soon accompanied by female voices. One he recognized as Chloe's, the other one he wasn't familiar with.

The new voice was laughing.

 _"_ _I hope you learned your lesson about assuming things."_

 _"_ _Okay yes, will you stop laughing about it?"_ echoed Chloe's tortured voice.

 _"_ _Probably not. I will keep making fun of you until you graduate."_

 _"_ _Okay, I accept that, but keep your voice down!"_ Chloe said hushed tones, and Bucky heard the clanging of keys.

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _Because the person who made this building hadn't herd of soundproofing, and I've embarrassed myself for a lifetime."_

Bucky heard the door opening, and the other girl laughing.

 _"_ _Well then, it's a perfect night to drown your sorrow in liquor."_

Chloe laughed as her door closed, and the sound of voices became muffled. He could still hear the conversation easily, should he decide he wanted to. Which he didn't.

He opened and closed his door as silently as he could. Not that there was any fear of Chloe coming out to greet him; after the groceries incident, she was clearly too embarrassed to talk to him.

As he started descending the stairs, he decided to go for a run to the park, perhaps grab a drink in the pub after.

"Sergiu."

The stern, ominous voice stopped him on his tracks, as he turned to see Mrs. Konstantinidou staring at him from the open door of her apartment.

"Ma'am." he said in greeting.

She opened the door wider and stepped aside.

"Inside. _Now_." she growled.

Bucky knew better than to refuse.

As he entered the apartment, the old lady closed the door behind him and pointed the sofa.

"Sit."

With a sigh, Bucky obliged, and waited to be scolded. He didn't know what for yet.

Mrs. Adriana remained standing, hands crossed, eyes ablaze and foot tapping the ground rhythmically; silent and radiating annoyance.

Bucky waited, head leaning forward with eyebrows raised to indicate he was expecting to be told why he was there.

The old woman just pressed her lips together and exhaled sharply.

"What?" Bucky asked with genuine bewilderment.

"Don't you _what_ me young man!" she snapped at him "Next time you want to lie, leave me out of it."

Bucky shook his head in surprise.

"What?" he asked again, shocked.

"You didn't have tea with me."

It took a few seconds for him to realize what on Earth she was talking about.

"What- Please tell me this isn't about me not having coffee with Chloe."

Mrs. Konstantinidou looked up in complete exasperation.

"Unbelievable!" she huffed, jerking her hands upwards "Not even a tiny bit of remorse!"

He sighed tiredly.

"I profoundly apologize for using you as an alibi."

"Ha! You're so insincere, you could be a politician." she growled but with smile, and went off to the kitchen to make tea, clearly pleased.

"How did you even hear about this?" Bucky raised his voice.

"Chloe picked my mail for me, the sweet darling!" she answered him over the sound of boiling water "Conversation came over to us having tea yesterday."

Her head popped from the kitchen door.

"And if you _do_ find yourself using my as an alibi again, be smart enough to inform me about it!" she told him curtly.

"Duly noted."

"Not what I want to hear."

"Sorry, you are absolutely right and I'm in the wrong?"

She smiled and her head disappeared again from his line of vision, just for her to reappear holding a tray with two cups and some biscuits.

"Thank you." Bucky said, taking his cup.

"No problem, dear. Also…" she said sweetly, then smacked his head.

"Ow!" he said under his breath as some hot tea splashed on his leg.

"Why didn't you tell me you speak English?" she asked calmly and sat down opposite to him, sipping her tea as if she hadn't just hit a grown man.

Patting his pants with a napkin, Bucky raised his head an offered the elderly lady a small smile.

"You never asked."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You want me to smack you again?"

"No ma'am."

She leaned back to her chair and raised her cup to her lips.

"I thought so."

Bucky just ate a biscuit.

"So…" she said slowly, putting her cup down "Now that you two have met…"

"Mrs. Konstantinidou, if you're taking this conversation where I think you are, I'm leaving you."

"Don't call me that." she snapped by reflex and then placed her cup on the table. Bucky tried to hide his surprise as reached for his good hand. He tensed, but didn't pull away. She looked at him, her green eyes very serious and sincere.

"I'm just worried about you Sergiu…" she said softy and he was about to protest when she cut him off "I want to see you smile once and I mean an actual smile, not those faded things of yours that look like you're afraid you're doing something wrong ."

Bucky swallowed hard and took a breath.

"Mrs. Adriana-"

"I know you're going to tell me you're fine, but I'm a mother of four boys, I can't help but worry. I've never seen you with a girl or a boy, and I'd recon you're just not into any of that, it can happen, but I'm not only talking about just romance, dear; the only person you seem to spend time with is me, and I'm ninety-two! I'm aware of my virtues, but a young, smart man such as yourself should have friends his age, not shriveled old prunes like me."

 _But you_ _ **are**_ _around my age._

He couldn't say that though, so he remained silent.

She sighed and patted his hand.

"I'm not telling you to flirt with Chloe, but she's a good girl, and closer to your age, and she in a place she doesn't know, and I think it would be good for the both of you if you were friends. Can't you just try, for me? So I can stop worrying?"

Bucky sighed.

"You are playing the 'for me' card a lot, and one of these days it's going to stop working."

She smiled.

"Now, you'd never break an old woman's heart like that."

"And you're taking a monstrous advantage of that."

She laughed and patted his cheek.

"You're a good boy, Sergiu." she said softly, and Bucky was about to smile, when she smacked his head.

"You let your tea grow cold, stupid." Mrs. Adriana scolded "But what to expect from boys? Never appreciated what I do, none of them!"

Bucky just sighed.

"As you say, ma'am."

"Of course as I say!" she huffed and took his cup to the kitchen to make him some fresh tea, muttering all the while.

* * *

Bucky was sitting on his couch, re-reading _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ , feeling a small smile tuck at his lips as Alice kicked Bill the lizard out the chimney. He was starting to see where little Becky had gotten her attitude from.

After tea, he had gone for a run in Morarilor Park and had a glass of whiskey at the pub, as he had originally planned. He had also stopped by the cinema, to see what movies would be on this week. He had wondered the dark streets a little more, enjoying the cold air on his face, the sound Bucharest by night: the clattering of people laughing and talking in bars, the rushing of cars, the distant buzzing of TVs. He walked under the light of street lamps and neon signs, through main streets and dark alleys; and he savoured that he _could_ , that he the freedom to do so, and when he grew tired, he returned home, showered and sat down to read his book.

That's when he heard shuffling down the corridor. He eyed the old clock on his wall. It was almost 2:30 am.

Frowning, he stood still, listening. Irregular footsteps echoed now, and Bucky slowly closed his book and looked over at a pocketknife that lay on the table.

And then he heard the distinctive sound of someone trying to unlock a door.

 _His_ door.

Silently he got up, took the knife and creeped across the room. His back against the wall next to the door, he waited in battle stance.

Someone had found him. Who? And most importantly, how? He knew for a fact he hadn't been followed.

Then it dawned upon him.

 _Chloe_.

 _It must have been her._

He silently cursed himself for taking her so lightly, for being so trusting. His reluctancy to leave had now compromised him. He would have to leave now anyway, and he would have to do it without the goodbyes he could have said if he had had the good sense to run when she moved in. And he would leave a mighty fine mess behind, to get everyone on his trail even further.

Perhaps he could at least give the little snitch a good fright before he disappeared. He couldn't believe he had actually fallen for the awkward cute girl act.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

The sound of metal against his lock suddenly stopped, and he tensed, waiting for his door to open.

But then the footsteps echoed again, walking away from his door.

 _What is going on?_

His scowled, listening carefully. He heard the sound of metal against metal again, close, but not from his door. There was only one apartment close enough to his to allow him to hear that clearly.

Whoever was down that corridor, was trying to get in Chloe's apartment now.

 _Burglars?_

It didn't make sense. His and Chloe's doors were identical; if they failed to unlock his door, they certainly couldn't unlock hers.

A thud sounded from outside and Bucky froze.

It was quickly followed by the sound of a girl crying.

Bucky sprang into action immediately. He unlatched and unlocked the door, hid his knife behind his back, and opened the door, carefully stepping in the corridor…and locking eyes with Chloe's own bloodshot ones.

She was sitting on the floor, her back leaning on her very much closed door. There were black stains running down her eyes; disheveled hair that she must have styled in a bun at some point during the day.

They looked at each other for a few silent seconds, before Chloe dropped her head in embarrassment and muttered.

"I can't unlock my door."

Bucky blinked and looked her over again: floral dress, knee-high stockings, nice leather jacket, currently running make-up and messy up-do. She had clearly been out, and remembering what he had heard the unknown female voice talking about that afternoon, there were plans for liquor to be involved.

Chloe looked up at him, with puffy eyes.

Slowly he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 _Yes Barnes, you nailed it. Absolute evil mastermind right there._

Opening his eyes, he gave her as stern a look as he could master.

"How much did you drink?" he asked softly.

"No, no, nonono, I'm not drunk if that's what you're insinuating here sir, not at all!" she said, words mixing together, as she nodded negatively many times "I'm just a bit tired, no need to worry."

Bucky barely managed to stop himself from laughing. He just smiled the kindest smile he could master, and approached her.

"How much Chloe?" he said, like a parent patiently asking his child to admit it was not in fact the cat who ate the cookies.

Chloe pouted and looked down at her hands.

"Just a couple of shots…" she said slowly, clearly trying to speak clearly.

"Of what?"

"I can't pronounce it, it's Romanian." she said sadly "But I'm not drunk, okay?! I never get drunk."

"Chloe. You confused our doors."

"They look alike."

Bucky sighed and reached for the key that lay next to her.

"Is this the key you were trying to unlock the door with?"

She looked at it.

"Yeah?"

"That's the mailbox key."

Chloe looked at it, blinked slowly, then looked back up at him.

"Oh."

Bucky chuckled silently at her confused gaze. Her already big eyes were wide and unfocused, and the only thing he could think of was a startled doe.

And then she burst out crying. Bucky froze for a moment, completely startled.

"You must think I'm so stupid!" Chloe said between sobs.

Bucky finally managed to shake away his surprise.

"I do not think that."

"Yes you do! Everyone thinks I'm so foolish, they do!" she said, hiding her face in her palms.

Bucky sighed and squatted right in front of her; and suddenly the entire scene nudged something in his memory, of another drunk, crying girl.

"Chloe…" he said slowly, but she only pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face there "Chloe look at me, please."

With a sniff, she raised her puffy eyes to meet his.

"I don't think you are stupid, and no one else does, for the matter. Okay?" he asked her slowly, and with another sniff and trembling lips she nodded.

"Good." he told her, never leaving her gaze. "I should get you in your apartment."

She burst down in tears again.

"You're such a good guy!" she slurred, tears streaming down her cheeks "And I've been so horrible!"

Bucky frowned.

"You've not been horrible."

"I have! You're such a good person and I have been talking about you like you're a piece of meat, and I know you heard me but you never said a thing, you're so nice, and I'm sorry!" Chloe said, among hysteric sobbing.

By this point, Bucky was unable to stop himself from chuckling, and he suddenly remembered that he absolutely adored drunk people.

"You don't need to apologize about anything."

"No, I do! You're like, such a kind person, and you've been so nice to me, and I was so shallow and you're more than a pretty face and I'm really so, so sorry!" Chloe suddenly looked up at him like a lost puppy "Will you forgive me?"

Bucky sighed.

"Yes Chloe, I forgive you for finding me attractive. Alright?"

Looking at him with watery eyes, she smiled the brightest drunken smile.

"Thank youuuu..."

"Now, are you keys in your bag?"

She nodded.

"Can I look for them, to help you with the door?"

She nodded again.

He reached at her bag, and started looking.

 _Lipstick…Wallet... Pepper spray…_

 _Huh. Pepper spray. She does have some clue where she lives after all. Anyway, let's see, I don't even know what this is, no, wait, it's a phone. Those things have gotten weird…Tissues... Keys!_

Fishing them out of her bag, and smirking slightly at the miniature potted plant keychain, he got up and unlocked the door. Then he turned back towards her.

"Can you walk?"

"I told you, I'm not drunk!" she said, and tried to get up, only to end up landing back on her butt.

Bucky just held a hand out.

She looked at his hand in confusion.

"Why are you always wearing gloves?"

Bucky froze.

 _She's drunk Barnes. She's not interrogating you._

"I'm sorry!" she interrupted his thoughts almost immediately, looking at her feet in complete horror "I shouldn't have asked that, it's not my business, I'm so sorry!"

"It's not a problem. Now let's get you up, okay?"

Never taking her swollen eyes from the floor, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

After she steadied herself, he let go of her; a bad idea, as it turned out. At the first step she took, she tripped, and if his reflexes weren't as good as they were, she would have landed face-first on the floor.

"How did you even manage to get here?" he said, mildly impressed, as he helped her steady herself, this time passing her hand over his shoulder and grabbing her by the waist.

"I got a taxi…" she slurred "And I went up the stairs veeeeery slowly. They were spinning, for some reason."

"I wonder why."

"I'm not drunk, I don't get drunk, I'm a heavyweight."

"I'm sure you are…" he agreed, half walking, half dragging her in her apartment and looking around for the light switch "Now let's get you in bed, okay?"

"You're such a good person." she mumbled again.

"Okay." he told her softly, finally managing to turn on the light "Which door is your room?"

She whined softly as the light hurt her eyes, and Bucky felt his muscles tense as her head lolled on his shoulder and she buried her face on the crook of his neck in order to protect her pained eyes. Behind the smell of alcohol, the faint scent of peaches came to his nose.

"Second one on the left…" she muttered.

He opened the door and laid her on her bed. Chloe just stared at ceiling. In sure movements that seemed familiar and yet foreign to him, Bucky took her shoes and socks off, and made sure she was lying in a safe distance from the edge of the bed.

Chloe just mumbled incomprehensively.

"Don't move." Bucky instructed her, and headed out the door. Her apartment seemed to mirror Mrs. Konstantinidou's, so figuring which door lead to the kitchen was easy enough.

Opening the light, he faced a small kitchen with yellow paneling, the window lined with fairy lights and the still covered with small houseplants and a watering pot.

 _Seems about right…_

Opening and closing cabinets, he eventually found where she kept the glasses, opened the tap and frowned at the brown water coming through.

 _Her pipes must be rusty._

After a while, the water cleared and he filled the glass. He then headed to the bathroom, where he eventually discovered her medication stack and retrieved an aspirin.

Re-entering her room, he found Chloe fast asleep.

He carefully placed the water and the aspirin on her bedside table, covered the glass with a napkin, and opened the door.

"Sergiu…" a small voice echoed behind him.

He turned; Chloe was looking at him, blinking slowly as she tried to keep her eyes open.

"Thank you…" she mumbled.

Bucky nodded and exited the room, letting her sleep.

Making sure he had shut all the lights, Bucky walked back on the living room, looking at the insane amount of plants near the windows in slight amusement. He then looked back at the bedroom door and sighed.

 _A true menace indeed._

He left the apartment silently, locking the door behind him and sliding the keys under the crack beneath; back inside her house.

Entering his own home, he eyed the small room and tiredly placed on the table the pocket knife he had kept on him this entire time. He removed his glove and eyed the metallic hand as he opened and closed it.

With a sigh, he returned to his couch, picked up his book, and waited for another night to over.

* * *

 _Song of the chapter:_

 ** _The piano has been drinking (not me)_** _–_ _Tom Waits_


	5. Chapter 5: To alcohol's defense, I'm equ

_Hello, hello! Sorry for the long absence, things got kinda hectic…_

 _On the bright side, finals are over! I'm a free elf!_

 _Also,_ _ **holy shit**_ _thank you so much for the amazing feedback! June really was a draining month for me, and all the positivity you sent my way managed to put a smile on my face, even during some really horrible days. So I can't thank you enough!_

 _I'm so glad that many of you seemed to enjoy the last chapter! Every time someone tells me they like the way I write Bucky, I become as red as tomato and smile like an idiot. Writing him still intimidates the living shit out of me! And so many of you have embraced Chloe (and darling Mrs. Adriana) and all I'm trying to say is that you're the sweetest readers there are!_

 _So now that my emotional rambling is over, on to the next chapter! This one is much longer than expected...Oops! Also it was kinda written in the middle of the night, so excuse any extra mistakes._

 _Enjoy!_

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 5: To alcohol's defense, I'm equally stupid sober**

The apartment was drenched in blessed silence; the light filtering through the curtains, making the dust that floated around look like specks of gold.

Everything was calm, peaceful and-

 **Ring-ring.**

Chloe groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

 **Ring-ring.**

 _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

 **Ring-ring.**

Clutching her throbbing head, Chloe sat up on her bed and almost fell back as a wave of dizziness hit her.

 **Ring-ring.**

"I hate you." Chloe mumbled, as she looked around for her phone, until she spotted her handbag hanging form the bedpost and fished her phone out with clumsy fingers.

"Hello?"

 _"Wakey wakey, regret and headachy!"_ a voice exclaimed.

Chloe groaned and fell back on the bed.

"Sophie, can you please lower your voice a little?"

" _Why, am I talking loud?_ " she yelled right in her ear.

Chloe winced and glared at the phone.

"You're an asshole."

" _I know._ " Sophie said smugly " _How are you?_ "

"Miserable…" Chloe sighed, and then frowned "Wait, how did you know I'm hangover?"

" _I'm glad you asked, plant-head._ " she said, and Chloe could almost hear her grin " _You see, I received a truly heartfelt message from you yesterday evening…"_

"Oh no…" Chloe whined "Please don't!"

Sophie just cleared her throat dramatically and started reading; Chloe just buried her face in the pillow, and mumbling "stop".

" _I just want you to know that I love you, that you're the best friend anyone could wish for, that I will always be there for and I don't ever wanna lose you cause you're my rock. You're awesome and I love you and I hope you know how much you mean to me._ "

"I truly loathe you." Chloe mumbled in her pillow.

" _I love you too_."

"If you did you would just delete this."

" _Oh, no dear; I'm saving this, and screenshotting it, and making it my phone background. Maybe I'll print it too, frame it in my living room_."

"You suck."

" _Okay, if you say so. Now check that you didn't send anything to any of your exes_."

Chloe's eyes widened with horror.

"Oh no…" she gasped, put Sophie on hold, and checked her earlier messages.

Any colour that resided in her face disappeared.

"Nooooooooooooooo!" she whimpered and picked up the call with Sophie.

" _Well?_ "

"I did."

An exasperated sigh echoed from the line.

" _Whom?_ "

"You _know_ whom."

" _Congratulations._ " Sophie sighed " _Did he answer?_ "

"Yes." Chloe said in defeat.

" _Is it bad?_ "

"Depends what you define as bad. _I can't begin to imagine how much alcohol was involved in this. Take care, Chloe."_

" _Not too bad._ "

"No, not too bad. Which kinda makes feel worse?"

" _I suppose it would._ " Sophie sighed again " _But since you, well actually since **he** brought it up, how much did you drink?_ "

"Not more than usual, I think?" Chloe said, rolling to the side "But it was some traditional Romanian drink, and they told me it was very strong, but everyone kept drinking so I thought I could handle it. I overestimated myself."

" _Chloe. Dude._ " Sophie said in exasperation, a common theme in this conversation, it seemed " _You can't outdrink Balkan people, have you no common sense?!"_

"I have Irish blood!"

" _Fascinating. You're hangover regardless_."

Chloe just groaned as she tried to get up again, and felt the room spinning around.

" _By the way, did you get back safely? Are you home?_ "

"Yep, I'm home." Chloe said and finally managed to sit up without feeling the need to vomit.

" _Did you get there okay?_ "

"Apparently…I mean I can't remember much, I think Vasili put me in a taxi, I vaguely remember trying to go up the stairs but after that I'm kinda lost and-" Chloe said, looking around the room, until her eyes landed on her nightstand, making her pause.

" _Chlo?_ "

She stared at it, eyes narrowing at the glass of water carefully covered with a napkin and the aspirin that lay next to it.

"Wait…"

" _What?_ "

Slowly, Chloe looked down at her bare feet, then at the floor where her shoes were placed and finally at the foot of the bed where her stockings were folded and placed.

It was all too _neat_.

" _Chloe?_ "

"Someone was here."

" _What?!_ "

"There's a glass of water and an aspirin, and my shoes are off and my stockings are folded, and I never fold anything, someone must have been with me but I remember I got in the taxi alone, I don't-"

And then all was silent.

" _Chlo?_ "

Nothing.

Somewhere in America, Sophie looked at her phone to check if the line died. It hadn't.

" _Can you hear me?_ "

"Yes." Chloe finally said, her voice sounding like she was chocking.

" _What happened?_ "

"Sophie."

" _Chloe._ "

"Remember that Italian project about using trees instead of tombs? With the organic pods?"

" _Yes?_ " Sophie asked very, _very_ confused.

"Can you contact them to see how this is going? I want a peach tree, if possible."

" _Chloe you're scarring me._ "

"And if not, have some flowers planted over my grave."

" _Chloe what the fuck is going on?_ " her best friend finally snapped.

"What is going on is that the one who helped me in my house was my neighbor, after he found me crying and unable to unlock the door in the corridor."

" _Which neighbor?_ "

" _The_ neighbor."

Silence fell on Sophie's line.

" _What kind of flowers do you want?_ " her voice finally asked seriously.

"Improvise, I believe in you. But I do want you to play ' _Over the rainbow'_."

" _How cheesy can you be? If we go with Wizard of Oz, we're playing_ ' _Ding Dong the Witch is Dead'._ "

"Fuck you."

And then they both broke down in hysterical laughter.

" _Holy shit Chloe!_ " Sophie said between snorts " _How do you manage to make such a fool of yourself constantly?_ "

"I don't know okay?!" Chloe whined "It's a talent, and you should be more supportive! My head hurts and I'm dehydrated and embarrassed beyond belief and you're not helping!"

" _Well darling, you reap what you sow…_ "

Chloe pressed a pillow in her face and let out a muffled scream.

"Sophie what will I doooo…?" she wailed in desperation.

" _Go and thank him?_ "

Chloe threw the pillow at the wall.

"Are you serious right now?" she said, her voice almost a shriek "How on earth can I face him after all that?"

" _Chloe. You're aware how dangerous it was for you to be that drunk in that building? The man saved your ass, probably quite literally. How many would have just left you there? Or worse?_ "

Chloe clenched her jaw.

"I'm quite aware of that."

" _I_ **_know_** _you are_." Sophie answered solemnly " _So just go and thank him._ "

"I can't!" Chloe sighed, taking the napkin off of the glass and swallowing her aspirin "If I recall correctly, I apologized to him about thinking he's hot. I said that. To his face."

Sophie started chuckling manically.

"Would you please shut up?"

" _Nope_." she said, putting extra emphasis on the 'p' " _But seriously, what's up with the guy? He's good looking, a gentleman and did you say he left you an aspirin?_ "

"Yes."

" _Did you take that?_ "

"Just now."

" _Okay good. As I was saying, he's too good to be true, are you sure he's not a serial killer or some shit?_ "

"I highly doubt it, but you never know." Chloe said with a smile "Can we please focus on my problem?"

" _I don't know dude, send him flowers and a thank you card._ "

"I'm not sending flowers to a _guy_."

" _Okay a bottle of wine or something, I don't know!_ "

"Yes, maybe, that does sound good…" Chloe trailed off.

" _Okay cool. Now excuse me, it's three o'clock here, and I'm getting sleepy._ "

"Sophie! Why are you awake that late?!" Chloe chastised.

" _Sorry, **mom**_." her friend groaned " _I was working on something_."

Chloe sighed.

"I'm just looking out for you."

" _As am I_." Sophie retorted " _Anyway, we'll talk later_."

"Okay, goodnight! Thanks for checking in on me."

" _No problem. Bye!_ "

"Bye…" Chloe said miserably and shut the phone.

Staring at the wall opposite to her bed for a few more seconds, Chloe sighed and got up. Her head felt heavy, and for a few seconds it seemed that the room was spinning. After making sure she was steady on her feet, Chloe exited her room and entered the bathroom.

"Fucking glorious." she grumbled as she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes puffy and bloodshot, and her cheeks smudged with mascara.

Blinking to clear her vision from a sudden wave of blurriness, she grabbed her make-up removal wipes and tiredly wiped her face clean.

With clumsy fingers she started the water running in the bathtub, wiggled out of her clothes and carefully stepped over her dress as it pooled around her feet; getting into the tub. She shivered as the cold water came in contact with her, goosebumps covering her freckled skin.

A couple of minutes later she exited the bathtub, cold but much more awake, and almost fell down as her wet foot slipped on the tiles. She just barely managed to latch on the edge of the bathtub in the last second before she hit the ground.

Taking a trembling breath, she steadied herself on her still weak legs, put on her nice fluffy bathrobe and ventured forth to the kitchen.

 _I haven't been this hangover in ages…_

With shaking hands, she opened a cupboard and retrieved a small tin box, opened and sighed with delight as the scent of peppermint ginger tea hit her nostrils.

Humming softly, she put some water to the kettle, and opened the fridge and stared at its contents, searching for something appropriate to fill her belly with. During her college years she would always eat eggs after a hangover; but then again, it was her roommate who was cooking them. Though eggs were within her limited capabilities, she had burned her good share, and was not in the mood for any of that right now. So she opted for a nice peanut butter and banana sandwich.

She knew she should go water her plants, but as she finally sat down with her cup of tea, she decided to just sit down for a moment and calm down a bit.

 _That was one crazy night_.

Annika, who lived pretty close, had come over and they had headed out around 9:30pm to meet the rest of the group downtown. They went to a bar, drank some beers, went to another bar, and then headed to Andrei's house, where they did shots of that traditional devilish drink. Somewhere around that time her memories got very, very hazy and she could remember only bits and pieces.

Chloe frowned.

 _Wait what happened to Annika? We were supposed to return together, but she definitely wasn't with me in the cab._

After a few minutes of intense concentration, she finally managed to remember that Annika fell asleep on the couch and Andrei decided they'd better let her sleep, as she was too drunk to go home.

Vasili had argued that Chloe should not be send home alone either, but she had insisted that she was perfectly fine and so he had put her in a taxi and told her address to the driver.

And the next thing she could remember were stairs and the cold floor of the corridor and Sergiu's face floating in front of her. And an epic emotional outburst.

She let her head drop on the table in front of her.

 _You're pathetic Paylor._

If he didn't think she was ridiculous until now, last night's shenanigans surely convinced him otherwise.

And she seriously felt extra guilty; the guy was so nice to her, and she kept putting him in super awkward situations.

 _I'm never needing help ever again_ , she vowed. _From now on, I'll be the most self sufficient and responsible girl in all of Bucharest. Yes._

With that in mind, she got up and grabbed her watering can, and went off to take care of her plants.

 _Sophie's right though, I need to send him a 'thank you' gift._

 _And then hide for about a month._

* * *

In the end, she ended up buying a box of baked goodies from the bakery. Wine, as Sophie had suggested, would have been classier, but he didn't strike her as a wine guy. Plus alcohol would have been an ironic choice.

But pastries…well, who doesn't like pastries?

Also good wine is expensive as shit, and she was broke.

Chloe was unable to find a "thank you" card, since everything was in Romanian, and although she was getting significantly better a speaking, she still failed miserably at reading and writing the language.

So when she got home, she scrambled around her library and finally found the box containing her stationary set; a gift from long ago. She pulled out an envelope, some paper and her calligraphy pen and paused.

 _What do I write?_

After a few minutes of thought, she carefully picked up the envelope and wrote down a simple _Thank You_.

On the paper, she wrote:

 _"I hope you like pastries (I strongly recommend the cream puffs)._

 _Until I can return the extreme kindness and help you have shown to me, I hope they suffice as both an expression of gratitude and an apology for all the trouble I've put you through._

 _I didn't make those by the way, so they're safe to eat._

 _Chloe_

 _P.S. If for some reason you belong in the category of people who don't enjoy sweets, I'm sure Mrs. Konstantinidou would be more than happy to eat these in your behalf."_

Looking at the paper again, she nodded approvingly.

 _Too serious and it becomes weird, too playful and it's insincere._

Carefully folding the paper and putting it in the envelope, she rose and grabbed the box. Opening the door, she looked around the corridor to make sure she was alone, and then tiptoed to Sergiu's door. Pausing again, she listened carefully for any sound suggesting he was about to exit his house, and meeting only silence, she gingerly placed the box in front of his doorstep, and the envelope on top of it.

And with that, she dashed back into her home and closed the door behind her in a hurry.

From the coffee table, she heard the muffled sound of her phone ringing, and looking at the screen she saw Annika's name flashing.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully, and was met with a desperate moan.

"Are you alive?" she asked with a smile.

" _In theory…_ " her new friend's hoarse voice answered " _How about you?_ "

"Hangover-wise? Bad, but handling it."

" _Lucky._ "

"You didn't let me finish. Because embarrassment-wise, well…"

" _Will I enjoy this story?_ "

"Most definitely."

" _Hit me. I need something to distract me from this headache_."

Plopping down on her sofa, Chloe took a deep breath and started recounting last night's adventures to a soon laughing Annika.

A few hours later, as she exited the house to meet up with everyone for coffee and to talk about an upcoming group assignment, she noticed the box was gone.

Despite her still throbbing headache, Chloe smiled.

* * *

As Chloe would proudly announce if you asked her, she had become a true ninja.

It had been five days since the horrendous drunk incident, and she had successfully managed to avoid her neighbor at every turn.

And it had not been easy, not at all, no sir. As she had figured quite quickly since she moved in, he had the amazing ability to sneak up on you without making a sound. The only indicators of his presence tended to be the inevitable sound of the door and the running water.

And occasionally, the screaming.

She tended not to think about that. The first night she heard it, she had woken up with her heart aflutter. No matter how much she denied it, she was a bit afraid of living on her own. She had remained still, listening. Nothing happened.

 _It was just a dream, Chloe, nothing more._

That was almost a month ago; it had taken her one more incident to figure out that her neighbor was plagued by nightmares.

She wasn't that surprised; her youngest brother, Billie, suffered from the same problem. But whenever he woke up screaming there would always be someone there to assure him everything was alright. Sergiu had no one.

That really saddened her.

From what she had gathered from Mrs. Adriana, he appeared to have no family or friends, though the old lady was not in fact sure. Chloe highly doubted the last part; he was a bit sulky and quiet, but too nice to not have friends.

That idea though made Chloe feel slightly guilty for avoiding him; but she really didn't know how to meet his eye. Whatever dignity she had managed to preserve after the whole phone call and groceries incident had crumbled into dust, let alone what her confidence had suffered.

 _If we don't meet much, it's highly unlikely I make a fool of myself again._

And so had started her Odyssey of avoiding a person she couldn't see coming. She had made a whole plan, and she had executed it flawlessly. The mornings actually tended to be the easiest time of the day, with only Thursday posing a problem; but she hadn't needed to deal with that yet. As for afternoons, she had learned from Mrs. Adriana that Sergiu usually returned home around 5:00 pm, the time when she left for class. So she started leaving a bit earlier and having a cup of coffee at the cafeteria with Annika, who spent more time at the university since she was still studying for her Bachelor's degree. As for nights, she always waited to hear his door closing before she ventured out.

She almost ran into him once, while he was talking with Mrs. Adriana at the building entrance, but she heard them fast enough not to descent the stairs and into their line of sight.

And still, in a way she hadn't been able to completely avoid him; the next morning after she delivered his gift, she found a post-it on her door.

 _"Glad to help kid._

 _Be careful with the liquor."_

She had blushed so much she had turned the same colour as her hair, strongly resembling a tomato. She was sure he wasn't chastising her or anything, but it was surely patronizing, and the term "kid" really stung.

 _He's not even that older than me…is he?_

She couldn't deny it was very sweet of him, though. It only made it worse. "Kid" is what her older siblings called her; a very clear indication of her place in the food chain. She was the naïve youngling, cute and needing guidance. If there ever were any chances of a different kind of relationship, she had just landed herself butt-first in the little sister zone.

 _Well, that's that._

With all that in mind, she was glad to keep her distance for a while.

But as always, karma wasn't very fond of her plans.

Chloe's stepped out of the train station and eyed the cloudy afternoon sky.

 _I hope it doesn't start raining before I get home._

 _"Chloe are you listening?"_ echoed a voice from her phone.

"Sorry mom, I was distracted."

" _I figured._ " her mom sighed " _Anyway sweetheart, I'll hang up, my break's almost over_."

"Okay, love you!"

" _Love you too!_ "

"Byeeee…" Chloe sang as she ended the call.

She paused for a moment, wondering if she should stop over the supermarket to get some fresh milk, but decided to go to Annika's family shop instead.

Walking between grey buildings with long strides, she dreamed of the nice cup of coffee she would make when she got home.

Eyeing the cloudy sky once more Chloe checked her bag, and cursed under her breath as she realized she forgot her umbrella home.

That was the time when she noticed a man a few feet behind her. Frowning, she closed her bag and quickened her footsteps, not looking back.

Despite common warnings, Chloe walked around Pantelimon district without issue, especially during mornings. She was however always careful when the sun started going down. Though there was still light, the clouds had drenched the streets in considerable darkness.

Going down the street, she stopped for a moment to give a few coins to an old homeless man. Raising her head, she saw the man still behind her, stopping as well.

Thankfully, she hadn't forgotten her pepper-spray.

She kept walking, glancing behind her often. The man was keeping a distance, and didn't seem to be in a hurry. However when she crossed to the other side of the street, he did the same.

 _Yep, he's following me alright._

If he meant to go unnoticed, he was bad at it.

Judging her distance from the nearest open and well-lit place, Chloe concluded that she would reach the market much sooner.

And truly, almost a minute later, she turned and right across the corner stood her salvation.

Entering in rush, Chloe sighed with relief. Looking outside from the window, she noticed the man had stopped across the street. She turned towards the counter, hoping to see Annika or at least her uncle. He was a complete douche, but not so much that he would ignore her if she asked his help.

To her disappointment, it was the shift of the other employee, a girl who didn't speak a word in English, and who always looked at Chloe with annoyance. Chloe had no idea why.

 _Well…if he's not gone by the time I buy my stuff, I'll call Annie to come pick me up._

Grabbing a basket, and constantly keeping her ears open in case the bell on the door indicated the man got in the shop, Chloe headed towards the dairy section.

As she turned down an aisle, she almost did a V-turn and ran out the shop.

Instead, she hid behind the liquor stand.

Standing at the other end of the shop, with his back turned on her, was Sergiu.

 _Really karma? Really?! **Now**?!_ .

 _Okay Chlo. You got this. Just stay right where you are._

Then in her mind's eye she saw Sergiu noticing her, crouched behind bottles of wine.

 _No, no, nope. Stay cool. We're just here to buy things. No need to pay me any mind._

Rising, she quickly crossed past the aisle he was in, and made it to the dairy section, throwing two cartons of milk in her basket.

And that was all she really needed to buy.

Bending her waist, she checked out the window, praying to every deity there was that the creep was gone.

Of course, he wasn't.

With a sigh, she just decided to browse.

 _There has to be something else I need._

She stepped around the store like a startled deer, checking every corner; afraid she would take a turn and come face to face with her neighbor.

She checked every aisle, but saw no Sergiu.

 _He probably left._

Calming down, she walked around more freely, and a few minutes later decided that it was probably safe to leave or at least pay for her milk.

Heading towards the cashier though, she noticed a single can of Campbell's tomato soup. She eyed it with interest.

 _It's getting colder…Some soup would be nice._

Getting on her tippy-toes, Chloe reached for the can.

Now, Chloe was a rather tall girl, but that damned soup was near the back end of the shelf, and no matter how much she stretched, she couldn't reach it. Frowning, she starting jumping, and still her fingers barely grazed it.

Suddenly a hand appeared behind her, grabbing the can. Slowly, Chloe turned her head around, facing the red sweater of the person standing right behind her. Warily raising her gaze upwards, she met a pair of steel blue eyes.

 _Shit._

"Hello." Sergiu told her, handing her the can and taking a step back. Chloe swallowed.

"Hi…Thank you…" she mumbled.

"You're welcome." he said.

Silence fell between them, and Chloe looked at the can in her hands as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

"By the way, you were right." he suddenly said.

Chloe looked at him questioningly, blinking slowly.

"The cream puffs were really good." he stated simply.

Chloe felt her cheeks burn as she looked down at her feet. She struggled to find something to say as he stood opposite to her.

"Well... I'm glad you liked them."

He nodded.

"Are you alright, by the way?" he asked "I haven't seen you in a while."

 _Drop the basket and flee. Flee this accursed earth, Chloe._

"Well, I was busy with a project for university, I didn't go out a lot…" she managed to say, rather convincingly.

"I see."

It was quiet once more, and Chloe started questioning her sanity.

"So, is it an interesting project?"

Chloe blinked.

It then became apparent to her that, weird as it seemed, that Sergiu was trying to engage in conversation. And he wasn't very good at it.

Chloe Paylor was many things and good talker was one of them; and as such, she considered it her duty to make others feel at ease when talking to her.

So she swallowed her own nervousness, buried her shame, and smiled her brightest smile.

"Yes, the first one I'm so excited about actually! It's about how of Romania's folklore has entered international popular culture."

He raised an eyebrow.

"So it's a project about vampires."

Chloe took a deep breath in order to protest, paused with a raised finger frozen midair, and finally winced.

"Yeah…" she said, half apologetic, half entertained.

He looked amused by that.

"Do you want me to get that for you?" he asked suddenly, looking at her basket. She followed his gaze down, then back at him.

"Absolutely not!" she said in horror "It's not heavy at all. And I won't buy anything else; I'm actually heading for the cashier. "

He nodded, and as she awkwardly headed towards the cashier, he walked besides her. Chloe stole a glance at his own things; she noticed some canned food, pasta, rice, and for some reason, quite a few pens.

"You didn't have to thank me, you know."

Looking away from his things, she raised her head to meet his gaze.

"I did."

"It's what anyone would have done."

A small breathless chuckle escaped Chloe's lips.

"No it isn't." she nodded negatively, with a small smile on her face "I wish it was like that, but it isn't. Do you know how many people would have ignored me? Or take advantage of the situation? What you did…it's not something many would do. You're a good man."

His jaw clenched.

"Because I did something any slightly decent person should do?"

She laughed then, without any real mirth.

"Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that…" she said, placing her things on the counter and smiling at the girl behind it "Salut!"

The cashier just glanced at them with disdain and scanned her items.

"Mulţumesc!" she said, putting them in a bag, and paying. She paused, and decided to wait for Sergiu. She noticed the cashier was significantly friendlier with him.

As he finished, he suddenly snatched the bag out of her hands.

"Oh come on!" Chloe exclaimed "It's not even heavy!"

"Then there's no problem if I carry it."

And out the door he was.

Blinking slowly and sharing a confused look with the cashier, she dashed after him.

"You're infuriating!" she yelled as she caught up to him.

"If you say so."

She rolled her eyes, and suddenly grew rigid.

At the corner of the street, staring at them was the man who had followed her.

 _Shit. How could I forget about him?_

Noticing her sudden change of demeanor, Sergiu stopped and followed her gaze.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Chloe said, hoping he would drop the subject.

Sergiu's eyes turned into two icy slits as he looked at the man, who under the intense gaze, turned around and left.

 _Seems my purse is not worth the trouble._

Sergiu slowly turned towards her, dead serious.

"How long was he following you?"

Chloe pursed her lips and sighed.

"I noticed him halfway from the station. I thought he would be gone by now."

He sighed.

"You shouldn't walk alone."

"It's fine. Really." she told him, and took her pepper spray out "See? Under control."

He didn't answer, but he didn't look very convinced.

"Can I have my bag back now?" she changed the subject as they entered the building.

"No."

As she came face to face with the dreaded stairs, she turned to him with a pout.

"You know what I would _actually_ appreciate if you carried? Me, up those stairs."

He turned and looked at her tiredly.

"Not happening."

She sighed in defeat.

"It was worth a try."

He did however stop with her when she needed to catch her breath.

"Stop judging me." she said between pants.

"I'm not."

When they finally reached their floor, he handed her the bag. With a snort she took it.

"Thanks. Expect cream puffs!"

"Why?"

"For the bag."

"You aren't buying me anything for carrying a half-empty bag. That's just ridiculous."

"So is carrying the damn thing for me." she retorted.

He stated at her, frowning. She tilted her chin up and raised an eyebrow.

"You are a stubborn girl."

"Yep."

He glared at her.

"So here's what we'll do. You will stop carrying my things unless I ask you to, or I swear to god I will buy a box of pastries for every bag you carry. Deal?" she said, offering her hand.

He looked at her hand for a moment, then sighed in defeat.

"You play dirty." he said, taking her hand "Deal. I will no longer be helpful unless I am specifically asked to."

His handshake was firm; his skin of his hand rough and callused.

As he retrieved it, she found herself looking at his other hand.

She took her gaze away as quickly as she could, but he had noticed her staring. Meeting his eyes, she looked down in embarrassment and cleared her throat.

"Well anyway, thank you again for everything. "

"You're welcome. It's a compression glove, by the way."

She looked up at him once more, feeling her face go red.

"I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't. That's why I'm telling you. It helps with pain."

She blinked.

"Oh." was all she managed say.

Silence fell, as he clearly waited for her to press the subject. She didn't.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You're really discreet, aren't you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." she said with a smile "Have a nice day!"

And with that, she entered her apartment.

Outside, rain started falling.

* * *

 _Song of the chapter_

 **Beer fear (last night)** – Lucy Spraggan


	6. Chapter 6: The horrors of nature, part 1

_Hello dear readers!_

 _As always, thank you all so much for the support!_

 _Just before we start, I should inform you that I edited the previous chapter and some things have been added to it, so perhaps you'd like to read it again._

 _Also, I would like to thank_ ** _artemis7448_** _for informing me about the existence of compression gloves! It is amazing to have such helpful readers!_

 _Speaking of,_ ** _hkhorch_** _asked a valid question, and one I should perhaps answer for all readers: neither HYDRA nor any other organizations play an active part in the plot. The "villains" in this story are internal, and in that essence HYDRA_ ** _is_** _a villain, through the shadow of fear and doubt it casts on Bucky. The idea behind this story is to highlight how the simple, uncomplicated relationships that form in everyday life, those seemingly small moments shape us. Having HYDRA appear would be beside the point. This kind of story of course isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I would hate to lead any of you on._

 _Anyway, about this chapter: This one and the next one would originally be a single chapter, but as I was writing I realized the chapter would be huge, so I decided to split them._

 _So now that I have talked enough to bore the living shit out of you, please enjoy the chapter!_

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs._

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 6: The horrors of nature, part 1**

Night had fallen, and Bucky was frantically writing down on his notebook. Hazy memories, a day he and Steve went to the beach, his brother asking him for help with his homework, and death, so much death. Sometimes it was the war; sometimes it was just people fleeing from him.

So at first, he though the screaming was in his head.

But as the second, distant sound echoed, Bucky was up and rushing out the door, his heart beating fast.

 _Please no._

But it was indeed Mrs. Konstantinidou's voice that had echoed throughout the building.

Rushing down the steps, he located his knife within his pocket.

What had happened? Robbery? Had anyone noticed his visits for tea?

Was it _them_?

He didn't know a thing in the world that could have made the old woman scream like that.

 _If they've touched her, I'll kill them._

He reached her floor. The door was closed, but from inside he could still hear sobbing and panicked little shrieks.

 _They are not silencing her._

Where they trying to lure him?

Where they torturing the old woman just to make him break?

His eyes darkened.

He would kill them.

He grabbed the handle and twisted, not that he was expecting to find the door unlocked. He was right.

Bucky knew he had just warned them he was going in, but it didn't matter. They were dead already, they just didn't know it.

He took a step back, ready to kick the door down.

That's when the door was swung wide open. Bucky froze.

Mrs. Adriana was standing in front of him, hair disheveled, skin as white as snow, her eyes wild with panic. But clearly unharmed.

"Sergiu!" she exclaimed, her voice between relief and hysterics.

"Mrs. Konstantinidou, what is going on?" he asked her, approaching and grabbing her from the shoulder.

She just shook her head, pointing in her house with a trembling finger.

"Please…Inside!"

Confused but alert, he pushed past her and entered the house. He scanned the apartment; ready confront whatever had caused the woman to crumble in fear.

He saw nothing.

"There!" Mrs. Adriana sobbed right behind him, pointing at the piano on the far end of the room.

Bucky frowned, still not seeing anything.

And then something caught his eyes.

He froze.

 _You've got to be joking._

That's when Chloe rushed in the house, dressed in pajama pants and a torn hoodie; wielding a pruning shear and panting. She looked around the apartment in panic.

"What happened?!" she asked, both Bucky and the old lady "I heard a scream and I though…!"

"Oh Chloe!" Mrs. Konstantinidou whined and hugged the girl, who looked at Bucky in complete shock "It's awful!"

Chloe hugged the tiny old woman back, and helped her down the couch.

"It's all right now, Mrs. Adriana." she told her softly "We're here now, okay?"

The old woman, still white as a sheet, nodded.

Chloe turned and looked at Bucky in worry.

"What happened?" she asked in a low voice, still trying to find the source of the pandemonium, and carefully placing her shear on the coffee table.

Bucky just pointed at the culprit.

It took Chloe a few moments to notice the tiny pink tail sticking out from beneath the piano.

Blinking slowly, Chloe looked away from the musical instrument, to Mrs. Konstantinidou, then back at Bucky; violently confused.

"Is that…a _mouse_?"

He just nodded.

She turned and regarded Mrs. Konstantinidou.

And then Chloe broke down in hysteric laughter.

Bucky just stood as his neighbor folded in two, clutching her belly and laughing hysterically with tears streaming down her face. For a second he though she was about to stop, but just as she took a deep calming breath, she looked at Mrs. Adriana, and broke down again, falling down on the couch next to the old lady.

Now, Mrs. Adriana was a cranky woman to begin with, and Chloe laughing at the face of her horror did nothing to help.

"What exactly is so funny?!" she snapped, her eyes still darting towards the piano, expecting the mouse to attack her any minute.

"I just…you're… _you_ … afraid of….a…a **mouse**!" she finally managed to say between ragged breaths and fits of giggling.

Mrs. Adriana pursed her lips, and was about to give Chloe a scold to be remembered, when the probably equally terrified rodent stirred under the piano, making the old woman yelp and jerk on her feet, hiding behind the couch.

Chloe left a last fit of giggles escape her lips and got up.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Adriana, I'm not making fun of you!" she smiled, her eyes still glimmering in amusement "But you're the kind of woman who give a lecture to a serial killer, so a tiny little fluff-ball making you scream is just…surprising."

"Tiny little fluff-ball?!" she shrieked "Disease-bringing, ear-eating monster is what it is!"

"Now that's a bit excessive."

"Sergiu!" the old lay snapped "Whose side are you on?!"

Bucky shrugged.

"Always yours, ma'am."

Chloe looked at him, insulted.

"I won't comment on that…" she mumbled "Anyway, I suppose we'll have to take care of that."

"Do you have any ratsbane, ma'am?"

"Wait what?!" Chloe turned towards him in shock "We're not _killing_ it!"

Bucky frowned at her.

"And what do you propose?"

"I don't care what you do; just get the monster out of my house _now_!" Mrs. Adriana growled "You-"

And that's when the mouse made a run for it.

Mrs. Adriana screamed and Bucky prepared to take it down.

Instead, a heavy towel landed on the little white rodent, and fast as that, Chloe bagged it inside.

"See Mrs. Adriana?" she smiled walking towards her, holding the towel with the squeaking mouse "Nothing to fear!"

"Keep it away from me Chloe! I mean it!" the woman backtracked.

"Okay, okay!" she said, smiling brightly.

"What are you going to do with it?"

Chloe turned over her shoulder to look at him.

"Set it free, of course…Not here, Mrs. Adriana, calm down!" she rolled her eyes as the old woman gasped "At the closest park I suppose."

She sighed as the mouse started wiggling violently inside the towel.

"Though I could use something to put it in. This lil' rascal will try to chew his way out if we wait much longer."

Hearing that, Mrs. Konstantinidou frantically shoved her way past Bucky, rushed into the kitchen and after a few moment of violent clattering, she immerged again with a colander which shoved it in Bucky's hands, who then handed it to Chloe.

"Oh so sweet!" Chloe fawned "You made sure it could breathe!"

"Chloe just put the damned mouse in there!"

Still smiling, Chloe rested the towel on the bottom of the colander gingerly, and as soon as she released its captive, stretched the fabric over the top of it.

"Elastic please?"

Calmer, Mrs. Adriana scrambled around her drawers, finally finding one and giving it to Chloe.

Securing the towel as a lid, Chloe laid back and smiled.

"You're alright little buddy." she mumbled to the mouse tenderly.

All this time, Bucky had been observing. Chloe's movement had been sure, practiced and very careful.

 _She has done this before, I would guess_.

Holding the colander carefully in her hands, Chloe met his gaze and smiled.

"See? No need for violence! Little guy was just as afraid as Mrs. Adriana was."

The old woman scoffed.

"What now?" she asked Chloe with a scowl.

"Well, I need to take it at least one mile away from here, or it might find its way back." Chloe sighed "So suppose I'll just take it to Morarilor Park."

"How?" Bucky spoke up.

Chloe looked at him as if he was an alien.

"Eh…with my legs?"

"Chloe."

Mrs. Adriana's voice was finally back to its usual chilling severity and as the girl turned to look at the old lady, Bucky saw her swallowing.

"Yes?"

"You are not walking, on your own, in the middle of the night, to the goddamn _park._ Have you lost whatever little mind that empty little head of yours ever had?!"

Chloe raised a hand in defense.

"Oh come on, Mrs. Adriana, it's not that late and the park is not that far! Nothing is going to happen!"

"I forbid it."

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Chloe rolled her eyes in exasperation and turned to look at him "Serge, please help a bit?"

He blinked slowly.

"Did you just call me… _Serge_?"

Chloe waved her hand around, as if to shoo a fly away.

"That's beyond the point!" she huffed "Can we please focus on this paranoia?!"

He regarded her for a moment, still and silent.

"Mrs. Adriana is right." he finally said flatly "Last time I saw you walking on your own, you were being followed by someone."

Chloe's eyes widened and she jerked her head negatively in horror.

"What was that now?!" Mrs. Konstantinidou's voice came like thunder landing on Chloe's head.

"Nothing Mrs. Adriana! Nothing at all!" Chloe chirped, then turned to look at Bucky with wide eyes and clenched jaw, signaling him to cut it out.

"Chloe was followed by stranger the other day. She hid in the mini-market around the corner. I happened to be there, so we walked out together."

Chloe's moth dropped and she stared at him like a fish out of water; until she finally pursed her lips.

"Traitor…" she mouthed to him, with hellfire in her eyes.

"Chloe! How many timed have I told you to not walk alone after dark?! But of course, no one ever listens to me, nooo you just do whatever comes in your empty head, because Mrs. Adriana is a paranoid silly old woman, right? Do tell me what you would have done if Sergiu hadn't been there, huh?" Mrs. Konstantinidou rambled, and as Chloe opened her mouth to answer, the old woman smacked her head "I'm not done, don't interrupt me! The nerve!"

Chloe shut her mouth and waited.

Mrs. Adriana just glared at her with flared nostrils.

"So?! Do you have nothing to say to defend yourself?!" the old woman said.

"But you just said-" Chloe gave up mid-sentence, and gave up on trying "No. I'm very sorry, and I promise I will be more careful from now on."

Mrs. Adriana's face softened as she sighed.

"Absolutely careless."

Chloe glared at Bucky.

"See what you did?" she asked him.

He just looked at her.

"I just think it's a bad idea to walk there at this time."

"Okay!" Chloe addressed both of them, exasperated "My friend Annika who lives just a few blocks from here has a motorcycle. If she takes me there, will you both calm down?"

Bucky exchanged a look with Mrs. Adriana, who nodded and said "I'll let it pass."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe pulled her cellphone from the pocket of her hoodie. Tapping on the screen a few times, she held the phone to her ear, all the while glaring at Bucky and tapping her foot.

"Hey Annie!" she finally said with a smile, taking her gaze away from him "What's up?"

Incomprehensible talking echoed from the other line and Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You're hilarious. Listen can I ask you a favor?" she said, leaning on the sofa "There was a mouse in Mrs. Adriana's house, and I just captured it and I want to release it in the park, and I could walk there but _someone…_ " she stopped and glared "…won't let me go because apparently it's too dangerous and- Holy shit Annika, _no_ , I'm not killing the mouse! What's wrong with you people?! Anyway, could you perhaps, maybe, take me there with your bike? And I'll buy you coffee tomorrow as payback!"

As more mumbling echoed from the phone, Chloe's smile dropped and she shifted her weight.

"Oh no, what happened?"

Her voice was suddenly low and worried, and Bucky noticed that she was biting the inside of her cheek.

"Is he alright now?"

The other girl was saying something and Chloe was nodding.

"Yeah absolutely. No, don't be silly."

She looked at the other two with a defeated gleam in her eyes.

"That would be great, but I don't know how to drive one, remember?...Yeah…Okay, yeah. Take care, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye."

She hung up and looked at them.

"Her grandpa slipped and broke his leg, she needs to stay home and take care of him. She's the only one he's got."

Mrs. Konstantinidou frowned.

"Constantin broke his leg?"

"Yes. Do you know him?" Chloe asked in shock.

"I've lived in this neighborhood for the past forty years, what do you think?" the old woman asked with raised eyebrows "And I suppose that deadbeat son of his isn't planning to help? What to expect. Boys. His daughter was such a nice girl, God rest her soul. Good thing she at least had a girl, if Constantin was left only with his son in this world, he'd be doomed! If you ask me-"

The sound of the mouse scratching at the walls of its prison made her jump back and stare at the colander with horror; apparently having forgotten the reason behind all this fuss for a moment.

"Alright, doesn't matter, what do we do with the beast?" she asked, glaring at Chloe's hands.

The girl sighed and looked down at the "beast" with pity.

"Well, I don't know. Annie said she could lend me her bike, but I don't know how drive one. We wouldn't happen to know anyone who owns a car, do we?"

"No, but I know how to drive a motorcycle."

Chloe turned and looked at him with an expression he couldn't decipher.

Bucky remained still as she stared at him for a few seconds.

"Of course you do…" she said under her breath.

He raised an eyebrow.

 _What does that mean?_

"Okay, so we're doing this?" she snapped him out of his thoughts, looking cheerful once more "Get the bike, free the mouse?"

Slowly, he nodded.

"Woohooooo!" Chloe yelled and practically shoved the colander in his hands "Okay, I'm going to put some normal clothes on and off we go!"

She was about to run out, when Bucky spoke up.

"Chloe. Shear."

"Oh yes right!" she smiled, grabbed the pruning shears and out the door she was, humming happily as she climbed the stairs.

Silence fell in the apartment as Bucky slowly turned his startled gaze from the open door to the utensil in his hands.

He felt Mrs. Adriana's eyes on him, and looking at her, saw a smile he did not like one bit rising on her lips.

"So… _Serge_ …"

Bucky sighed in defeat, ready to accept his fate.

"You have been listening to me, apparently. I'm impressed."

He didn't answer. She didn't expect him to, anyway.

"Was it really that hard, talking to her? You barely needed to, I would guess, she starts blabbering away first chance she gets! And from what I gather you have been very helpful, and really this is for once a smart move for you; I mean I think she likes you a bit, poor girl, she could really do better, but I might be wrong, she's extremely friendly to everyone. But really that makes talking to her that much easier, but you had to be stubborn, but thankfully for once you heard me, apparently."

He still knew better than to speak.

"Nothing to say?"

He just sighed.

She opened her mouth, ready to continue her probing, when Chloe's footsteps echoed almost tumbling down the stairs.

"I'm back!" she informed them, tucking her hair out of her clean sweatshirt. It was the first time Bucky ever saw her with her hair down, he realized. It was a thick unruly maze of orange waves reaching just below her shoulder blades.

Chloe turned to Mrs. Konstantinidou.

"Mrs. Adriana, I brought this for you." Chloe smiled, and handed a tin can to the old lady "It's passionflower tea, from my own garden back home. It will help you calm you down; you've had quite a night…"

The old woman took the tin in her hands gingerly.

"Careful, it's quite potent. A teaspoon is more than enough to calm you down and help you sleep without any trouble." Chloe warned and Mrs. Konstantinidou nodded.

"Thank you dear…" Mrs. Konstantinidou said softly and patted Chloe's cheek "You're such a sweet girl."

Chloe smiled and turned towards Bucky, who was fast to avert his gaze from her.

"Ready?" she asked him with a smile, and he was glad she hadn't noticed him staring. He wished he could say the same about Mrs. Konstantinidou, who looked at him with raised eyebrows and a mischievous smirk.

He ignored her.

"Yes."

"Great! Let's go!" she said, taking the colander form his hands and heading towards the opened door "I called Annie; she's waiting for us to give us the keys. Goodnight Mrs. Adriana!"

"Goodnight ma'am." Bucky said, following Chloe out.

"Goodnight kids." Mrs. Konstantinidou said, escorting them to the door and looking at them with a pleased expression, as if her favorite show was on. "Be careful!"

Bucky nodded and Chloe mumbled "yes, yes…" as the old woman shut the door behind them with a definitive _click_.

* * *

 _Song of the chapter:_

 **The lady is a tramp** _–_ _Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga_


	7. Chapter 7: The horrors of nature, part 2

_…_

 _Um…hi…_

 _-dodges rain of rotten eggs-_

 _I know, I know! It's been over a month. Almost two. I truly apologize to keep you waiting! I at least hope you all had an amazing summer._

 _I unfortunately had a small adventure with my health, which kept me from writing. But no worries, I'm fully recovered now and ready to go! And all your lovely reviews help me get through it with a smile! :D_

 _This is a huge chapter, so I hope it pays back for my equally ridiculously long absence. And it's actually 100% unadulterated Chloe and Bucky spending time together, so yay? At some point I think I will edit the previous one too; I was re-reading recently and I found it looks more like a rough draft rather than a complete chapter…:/_

 _Oh, and since I was asked about the pronunciation of Bucky's alias, I think the best way is for you to hear it:_

 _"_ _Serge" rhymes with "urge"_ , while _"Sergiu" is pronounced like "Serge" if you add an "ew" at the end_.

 _By the way, I was considering uploading this story in other platforms too. Do you think this is a good idea?_

 _As always, thank you for the lovely reviews, favorites, follows and your overall support and love! You are the best!_

 _Xoxo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 7: The horrors of nature, part 2**

It was cool autumn night outside, clear skied and smelling faintly of rain; the air chilly and fresh against the skin. The streets were silent and dark but for the small pools of light beneath the street lamps, and with the exception of the occasional frightened cat, completely empty.

Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of fresh cold air filling her lungs.

"Where does your friend live?" Sergiu's voice echoed from behind her.

She turned towards him. He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

"A few blocks from here." she told him, nodding towards the general direction of Annika's home.

He nodded and started walking towards there. Chloe quickened her pace; she needed to lead the way after all, and his strides were significantly longer than hers.

After a while, Chloe shifted the weight of the colander in her hands, and raised the towel just a little.

The mouse turned to look at her in fear, but besides being clearly shocked, it seemed to be completely fine.

Chloe smiled and covered it again.

After a few moments, she looked again and the mouse locked eyes with her and twitched its little pink nose.

 _Little white fluffy cutie pie…_

She really couldn't understand how anyone could be afraid of something so cute. Rats she could kinda get, but mice?

 _So tiny, so vulnerable…_ she thought, eyeing the small rodent once more.

That's when she heard a _meow_ from behind her.

Turning, she saw a grey, long-haired cat looking at them from the shadows.

Chloe looked at the cat, the cat looked at Chloe, and then stalked towards them, with its eyes on the colander.

"No, no, no!" Chloe exclaimed, hugging the colander protectively "Bad kitty!"

"Perhaps it's hungry." Sergiu flatly remarked.

"Well, it should find its own mouse!" Chloe protested "This one is not for eating!"

Her neighbor gave her a strict look.

"You realize it will probably get eaten or killed anyway?"

Chloe clenched her jaw and the colander in her arms, as she raised her chin in defiance.

 _Now you're just asking for a lecture, dear neighbor._

"I grew up next to a national park, city boy, do you think I don't know how nature works? But this mouse's life is not mine to do as I like with it. I don't get to decide when it dies; I don't have the right to."

He blinked slowly as he looked at her.

"It's a _mouse_."

"Yes it is. Would we be having this conversation if it was a dog? I doubt it. Who are we to say one life is worth more than the other?"

He grew silent, but looked at her in deep thought. Chloe looked at the mouse inside the colander, and once more she spoke; in a hushed, soft voice.

"How's it different from you and me? If you hold it, you'll feel its heartbeat. If it's hungry it eats, if it's tired it sleeps. If you kill it, in its last moment it will just be terrified, desperate to live. Is that not worth saving?"

He didn't answer. Instead he looked at her, his gaze examining and curious.

She covered the colander and smiled to him.

"Perhaps I'm too soft." Chloe shrugged with a nervous laughter "I fear it's a weakness of mine."

"No." he said, frowning "You're kind. That's not a weakness at all."

Chloe parted her lips to say something, but she found no words. She realized there was admiration in his voice. She smiled brightly at him, then looked at her boots, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you."

They walked in silence for a while, before Sergiu spoke again, his tone lighter.

" _City boy_?" he asked, obviously just realizing what she called him.

Chloe chuckled.

"Am I wrong?"

He looked at her severely, but didn't answer.

That made her laugh even more.

"Don't take it personally; it's always obvious when someone has grown up in a city. You carry that urbanity with you like a turtle carries its shell."

"If you say so."

Chloe stuck her tongue out to him.

"Very mature."

She blew a raspberry this time around. He just rolled his eyes.

Chloe just smiled and kicked a small stone as they walked next to each other. The air between them was light, casual almost.

 _This is nice…_ Chloe thought as she looked up at him.

She liked being friends with him. And since she had decided to be just that, she found it much easier to talk to him.

As they turned around the corner, Annika's apartment building entered her line of vision, and she nodded towards it.

"That's the one!" she told him with a smile and slowly handed him the colander. He took it in his hands gingerly, and Chloe felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart.

 _Maybe I got to him…_

Smiling at him, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Annika. After a couple of rings, she picked it up.

"Hey, it's me!" Chloe chirped.

" _I know Chloe, I have caller ID_."

"You're such a sweetheart. We're here, shall I come up?"

" _We?_ "

"Yes."

" _Sexy neighbor included_?"

"Yes."

" _Okay you are coming upstairs right now and you are answering questions_."

"Okay, wait…" Chloe said, trying to keep a straight face as she turned towards Sergiu "I'm going up to take the keys, mind if you stay here with the mouse?"

Sergiu shook his head.

"Thanks." she smiled at him, and turned back to her phone "Yeah, I'm coming. What's the name on the bell again?"

" _Codreanu._ "

"Okay, see you in a few seconds!"

Practically bouncing, she climbed the four steps that led to the door and rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later she heard a buzz and pushed the door, glancing back at Sergiu who was standing in the middle of the street, looking at her. She signaled him it would take her just a few, and closed the door behind her as she entered the building.

 _Well I hope it takes me just a few…_ she mused as she eyed the stairs. Thankfully, Annika lived at the second floor, so there was no intense climbing involved. The humidity always made the ache on her knee return, and these past days going to her own apartment had been slightly painful.

As she climbed the final step, Annika's apartment door flew open and the girl practically bolted outside.

"Chloe…" she almost sang.

"Annika?" Chloe said, slightly worried.

Annika gave her the wickedest smile Chloe had ever witnessed.

"Don't _Annika_ me; spill the beans."

Chloe blinked and sighed as she realized what the suggestive look in her friend's eyes.

"No Annie!" she huffed "Bad Annie!"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"You turn up at my door this late in the night, strolling around, riding bikes and saving animals with your neighbor, and you really expect me not to jump in conclusions?"

Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He's just helping me out Annika."

"Sure thing." her friend said dryly.

"How's your grandpa?" Chloe changed the subject.

It was Annika's turn to sigh.

"He hurts a bit, but he'll be fine. He's asleep now."

Chloe nodded.

"Tell him I wish him a swift recovery."

"Will do!" Annika chirped "Anyway, keys…I've parked just across the street."

She handed them to Chloe, along with a helmet.

"You wouldn't happen to have two?" Chloe asked, eyeing the helmet.

"Sorry, I rarely ride with company." her friend said "Anyway, be safe."

"Will do!" Chloe said, and Annika smiled slyly.

"I'm not talking just about the bike."

"Oh my god Annie!" Chloe exclaimed in exasperation, though she could stop herself from laughing "Stop that!"

"Have fun Chloe!" was the only thing Annika answered as she started closing her door "I'll come pick the bike up in the morning."

"Goodnight!" Chloe waved "Thank you so much!"

Annika waved and closed the door, as Chloe jumped down the steps. The door creaked as she exited back into the cool night. Sergiu raised his gaze to her.

"I'm back!" she sing-sang, jiggling the keys; looking around the motorcycle, until she finally spotted it under a tree "The bike is that one over there!" she continued, pointing at Annie's blue bike.

Sergiu turned his gaze to where she was pointing and nodded. He quickly transferred the colander in one hand, and raised the other.

Without hesitation, Chloe threw him the keys, and he caught them midair without any trouble.

 _Good reflexes._

"I hope you don't plan on leaving without me." she teased, skipping towards him with a smile.

"Mrs. Konstantinidou would kill me." Sergiu told her, very somberly.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of tiny Mrs. Adriana repeatedly smacking Sergiu's head with a spatula.

Still smiling, she eyed him with slight curiosity.

"Why do you keep calling her that, by the way?" she wondered, as she took the colander from his hands "She hates it!"

The old woman had made it very clear to her from the beginning that she was to call her Mrs. Adriana, and had gone on a raving about how ridiculous she considered her husband's surname to be.

Sergiu gave her a look.

"That's just what she tells you." he told her, in an almost confidential tone.

Chloe nodded; she had suspected it for a while actually. You don't teach the right pronunciation of a name you hate with such vigor.

At this point they were standing by the bike, and Chloe extended her hand to give Sergiu the helmet.

He eyed her hand, and then her with a disbelieving, almost mocking look in his eyes.

 _Oh no sir. I'm not made of porcelain, dammit._

"You're the driver, you should take it."

"No."

"Sergiu, I'm not leaving here until you take the damned helmet."

He didn't budge a millimeter as she raised her chin; instead he seemed to loom over her.

"Chloe, I don't need it."

She pouted.

 _You stubborn excuse of man!_

"Okay, I will wear it only if you promise that you'll wear it on the way back. Deal?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay."

"Okay." Chloe growled and put it on as he climbed on the bike.

Chloe clenched her jaw as she carefully placed the colander behind him and straddled the bike; successfully immobilizing the utensil between their bodies.

She tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in her belly as she stared at his back, then her hands. She checked on the mouse once more, to keep them occupied for a few more seconds.

"You seem a little tense. First time on a bike?"

Chloe barely managed to hold herself from bursting into laughter; ending up with a sound that resembled a scoff escaping her lips.

"Not even close buddy; my first and second boyfriends drove motorcycles."

Which made the fact that Sergiu knew how to drive a bike very ironic to her. Apparently, bikers were he weakness.

"But we have a mouse to protect, remember?" she reminded him, looking down at the colander once more. She wouldn't want the mouse to get hurt, after all the trouble they had suffered to save it.

"I have not forgotten such a noble duty."

Chloe squinted at him, wondering if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Okay, let's go." Sergiu interrupter her glaring "Hold on."

Chloe eyed his waist in fear.

 _Okay, it's not weird, you're on a damn bike, just casually hold on, it's no big deal, calm down Paylor, don't let Annika get to you, this is not awkward at all._

She moved her hands, then pulled them back to her lap.

 _You're overthinking this, Chlo. Just relax and hold on like you normally do. No big deal…_

She relaxed her fingers that felt like they were made of wood and laced them together; her arms loosely encircling his waist and her palms resting on his belly.

 _Holy shit! Okay how fucking ripped is he?! That feels like damn solid rock!_

 _Chloe chill. Chill down girl. What did we say? Friends._

 _Okay, friends. But holy shit._

As soon as she grabbed him, Sergiu started the engine, and the bike dashed across the street.

 _He is driving very carefully,_ Chloe nodded, and looked down at the colander protectively.

 _We will take good care of you, little one_ …

"So what happened to them?" his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What happened to whom?" she asked, frowning.

"The boyfriends."

"Oh them!" she said in realization, and then huffed "Well, the second one was a cheating bastard, so I gave him the boot."

She sighed as she thought about that particular incident. As Sophie had quite adequately pointed out, anyone named Chad was bound to be a douche.

"Did you get revenge?"

Chloe smiled. At the time, she had seriously considered calling him over for dinner. Which she would have cooked. And watching him eat it all, before she dumped his ass. But in the end, she decided she wasn't that petty.

But it still gave her a good laugh when she tough about it.

"No, I was never a vengeful person. But I think I was very colorful with my vocabulary..."

"I can imagine."

She made a face at him; knowing full well he couldn't see her.

"As for James…" she continued.

The road must have been a bit bumpy, since the bike shook a bit, making her stop for a moment, before she went back down memory lane.

"He was my high-school sweetheart. But we were accepted in different universities, and you know, we tried keeping a long-distance relationship at first, but it wasn't working, so we broke up. He met the girl who would become his wife a week later, so turns out to be a very good decision. We're still friends; he lives in California though, so I barely see him."

"You still live in Wyoming?"

"No, I live in Bucharest." Chloe said dryly, feeling rather proud of herself.

 _You don't get the sarcasm exclusive, sir._

He apparently didn't appreciate as much.

"I thought your sense of humor was better than that."

"Yes, but you're starting to rub off on me."

He didn't deign to answer her.

A few minutes passed before Chloe realized they had slowed down quite a bit, and looking around, she saw the park just around the corner.

She smiled and looked down at the colander.

"Soon you'll be free, little one!" she whispered tenderly as Sergiu pulled up to the sidewalk and parked.

Chloe jumped off, stretching her back; the released herself from the prison of the helmet.

"Annika said there's a lock in the trunk." she told Sergiu as she laid the helmet on the bike and took the colander in her hands carefully.

She looked around. The apartments surrounding the park were the kind of buildings she was used by now; grey and old, with graffiti near the base. There was some light shining through a couple of windows; but other than that the area was eerily silent and empty.

She would never admit it out loud, but Chloe suddenly felt glad Sergiu had come with her.

A soft, cold breeze blew and Chloe closed her eyes with pleasure as it chilled her cheeks. She sighed and opened her eyes, to raise her gaze on the sky.

She frowned at the weirdly empty image that met her sight. As much as she enjoyed living in a city, the lack of stars made her feel oddly alone and unwelcome.

Lowering her gaze, her eyes met with Sergiu's. She smiled brightly at him.

"Let's go." he told her when he saw he had her attention.

Chloe nodded and cheerfully trailed behind him, carefully cradling the colander in her arms.

As she caught up to him, Sergiu glanced at her. He didn't say anything for a while, but after they walked a bit in silence, he turned towards her.

"Do you ever miss home?"

"Well, I've only left for fifteen minutes; I haven't had the time to miss it yet."

Sergiu just gave her a stern look, which spoke volumes of "be serious."

"Okay, grumpy cat, sorry!" Chloe rolled her eyes.

She thought about the question for a few seconds, then looked up at him with a slight frown.

"You know, I actually miss it less than I thought I would. I mean, of course there are things I miss, but…You know, home is always your family base. It doesn't feel as much _my_ house rather than _our_ house. Here…when my family visits, I'll be able to take them to _my_ favorite coffee shop and _my_ bar and visit _my_ city…"

She looked at him, crooking her mouth a bit.

"Does that make any sense?"

He nodded.

Chloe sighed.

"But there are things I miss so much it aches. I miss my room and my parents and I miss my siblings like hell. I miss my greenhouse and my plants and my mom's cooking, she makes the most amazing Coddle you'll ever taste!"

She missed these and much more. Chloe didn't much like to dwell on that; it made her hurt to think about it.

But as the leaves rustled around her, accompanied by the steady rhythm of their footsteps, Chloe found herself drenched in melancholy, and words suddenly came pouring out of her mouth.

"You know, my dad wakes up early to tend to the heard, and by the time I get up mom's usually off to work and my siblings to school so it's just us at home. I will go to the kitchen and make two cups of coffee, and I'll take them out to the front porch. Dad's always there, smoking, waiting for me before he gets back to work. He always says ' _thanks kid'_ and ruffles my hair when he takes the cup and we just sit and drink our coffee and enjoy the morning sun. We've been doing that for years, you know? And now, some mornings, if I'm distracted, I make two cups of coffee and then I don't know what to do with the second one." she said, and as she spoke she realized her voice was starting to sound a bit sad; and perhaps a bit oversharing. So she just laughed a little nervous laugh "It's a bit silly, isn't it? Getting sentimental over a damn cup of coffee."

He didn't make an answer, but looked away from her as she turned her gaze to meet him, and shook his head negatively, with a serious expression on his face.

Silence fell for a while; only the sound of their feet hitting the gravel echoing between the shadows of the trees.

 _What are you thinking?_ Chloe wondered, glancing towards him.

Her own head was now filled with the creaking sound that the third step of her home's staircase always produced and the smell of coffee and tobacco smoke and clean mountain air and the echo of wind chimes on her front porch.

"The _heard_?" his curious voice suddenly snapped her back to the park.

Chloe laughed and turned to smile at Sergiu.

"Yeah. "

The wind blew her hair in her face, and she blew it away from her eyes.

"We own a ranch." Chloe explained, and smiled "Nothing big or anything, just some cattle and bison, which technically makes my dad a cowboy which makes me a walking Wyoming stereotype."

That seemed to amuse him, and he smiled a bit.

 _He should smile more, it really suits him._

 _Well, I suppose that's my new mission then._

"So you're a cowgirl."

His tone was so serious and grim that Chloe was quite sure he was teasing her.

"No not really, I'm a bit of a shame to the family. Worst rider in generations right here! But I installed a greenhouse, so I have gained some esteem I suppose. Though Lauren's shadow looms over us all. "

"Lauren?"

"My oldest sister. Best horse wrangler and rider in all of Jackson, consecutive barrel racing champion. And she's the one helping run the ranch, though now she's married and lives elsewhere. The prodigal daughter, if I may say."

"I see." he said and looked at her seriously "I didn't know you have a sister; I've only heard about a brother."

Chloe blinked and burst out laughing.

 ** _A_** _brother? Oh my foolish neighbor._

When she finally managed to collect herself she turned towards him with a smile.

"I'm sorry, it's just…Well I have three brothers and two sisters."

His head jerked a bit in surprise.

"Six kids?"

"Yeah, my parents where quite busy…" Chloe giggled, then started counting down her siblings "I'm the fourth in line. First we have Tom, then Lauren and David -they're twins, then yours truly, then Madison and finally Billy."

Sergiu seemed to take it in with almost wonder.

"How about you?" Chloe asked with a smile "Do you have any siblings?"

She regretted it almost immediately. Suddenly his expression fell and she noticed his jaw clenching.

"Yes." was all he answered after a few silent seconds.

 _Okay, sore subject right there, let's not mention that again._

He was quiet after that, and Chloe desperately searched in her mind for something to talk about. The silence made her feel uneasy.

She wondered however if he would appreciate her mindless blabber. With a glance his way, she decided he probably wouldn't.

Thankfully, he spoke first.

"You must be a great sister."

Chloe smiled at him, then looked at her boots.

"I don't know about that, but thank you…" she said softly and took a deep breath "I think you must be a good brother too. Judging from your attitude with me."

He seemed to consider that, looking slightly touched. Or so she thought; she could never make out his emotions.

"Thank you."

They stayed silent after that, until finally they reached the center of the park, where a small lake glimmered under the city lights.

"I think this is a good place to release our captive." she spoke up.

Sergiu only nodded.

Looking around for a nice spot, she saw a good patch next to where the trees started; grassy and covered with leaves.

She felt Sergiu standing behind her as she kneeled on the dirt by the spot, and raised the towel carefully.

"Hello!" she smiled, as the mouse once more stared at her fearfully.

Pulling the towel completely away she covered her hand with it, and with a quick move got hold of the mouse. It squeaked in horror and Chloe giggled a bit.

 _No need for that!_

"Be free, little buddy…" she said softly as she laid it on the ground and released it from her hold.

After a split second of stillness, the mouse turned, looked at her, then the trees, and finally dashed towards freedom; a white spot running across the dirt, to shortly after disappear beneath the shadow of the trees.

Chloe smiled as she lost it from her sight.

 _Off it goes!_

She turned to look at Sergiu, who was still standing behind her; he looked at her too, and smiled faintly at her own grin.

Chloe got up, dusting the dirt off of her jeans. Straightening, she turned towards him, putting the towel inside the colander idly, still smiling.

"So…That was that."

"Yes."

Chloe inhaled deeply, feeling quite content. Perhaps it was due to the cold, but the air felt fresh in her lungs, and the leaves where rustling softly in the wind, and Chloe found herself oddly at ease in the park. Suddenly the idea of her empty apartment seemed extremely lonely.

She didn't have much of a choice though.

"We should get back, I suppose…" Chloe sighed.

 _Perhaps I'll make myself a cup of hot chocolate…find a nice cozy corner on the sofa and read till I'm sleepy. That could be nice…_

"We could stay a bit."

Chloe snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Sergiu in slight shock, while she felt the edges of her lips tuck upwards involuntarily.

"I'd…love too." she said, surprised and pleased.

 _Wait, there was disappointment all over my face, wasn't there?_ She mentally slapped herself for being so ridiculously eager.

He nodded and eyed her seriously, but as soon as she met his gaze, he diverted his eyes from her and on to the skyline.

 _I hope I didn't ruin his night though._

She hesitantly approached him and when she was next to him, looked up.

"If you are tired or anything though, I don't mind going home…" she said very steadily and reassuringly.

He shook his head.

"It's a nice night." was all he answered before he started walking.

Chloe agreed and followed him.

 _Someone should replace the lamps in this place, half of them are broken,_ she noticed as they reached a spot that would have been completely drowned in darkness if it wasn't for a single lamp at the far end of the path and the dim light that the city itself seemed to emit.

Perhaps she should be wearier of walking with someone in a dark park in the middle of the night, she suddenly thought.

But she wasn't, not at all.

 _I trust him._

"What's Wyoming like?" came Sergiu's voice from her side.

Considering the question, Chloe leapt a bit to the side, in order to step on a fallen leaf that looked especially crunchy. She was not disappointed.

 _Aaaah so satisfying_ , she smiled as the leaf crunched beneath her boot.

"Big, windy, not very populated." she finally answered.

A sharp exhale informed her he was not amused. She smiled.

"Well, it's true. And really, it depends what part of Wyoming we're talking about."

"Where did you say you're from?"

"Jackson Hole valley." she said pleasantly "We live close to a small town called Kelly."

"How is it there then?"

Chloe smiled.

"Breathtaking. The mountains are so high and they're covered in snow almost all year and there are rivers and lakes and endless fields of grass. It's a wild place. It's a pity most people don't come near Jackson."

"It sounds very nice."

"You should come see it sometime!" Chloe blurted out "We love having guests!"

That seemed to surprise him.

 _What did you even say that for?_

But he nodded and Chloe caught something she considered a smile on his lips.

"Thank you." he said slowly.

Chloe just smiled at him pleasantly and continued.

"Though there's not that much to do; it's ski mostly. I never really got the hang of ski, if I were honest with you. Horrible balance, you see. But I do make some sick snowmen and I'm brutal when it comes to snow fighting. But I have to admit, I prefer autumn, everything turns red and orange, and you don't feel as if your nose will fall off if you stay out for more than a minute. Our winter is brutal, no joking. I laugh every time someone asks me how I'll handle the Romanian winter, till now it's ridiculously hotter than home would be this time of the year. Though it's probably the lack of open space; cities are always so much warmer. They simmer, you know?"

He blinked slowly as he looked at her.

 _Aaaand you're just blabbering away as always, Paylor._

"I suppose they do. City boys like me wouldn't know any better."

Chloe gave him the best side-eye she could master.

He arched an eyebrow and she sighed.

 _Little shit._

"It must be hard for you, living in a big city for the first time."

"Huh?" Chloe turned to him, smiling and knotting her eyebrows together "Who told you this is the first time I live in a big city?"

Sergiu's face fell, as if her question troubled him.

"Mrs. Konstantinidou."

"Oh, that makes sense." Chloe said playfully "But you misunderstood, good sir. Do I seem like a clueless country girl to you? I'm most insulted! This is the first time I live _alone_ in a big city. Where on earth do you think I got my botany degree from? Can't find that in the mountains, Mr. Gheorghescu."

He seemed to find that logical.

"That makes sense. Where did you study then?"

"Laramie. Though I don't think that counts as a big city either." Chloe laughed, waving her hand around "But I did live in New York for a couple of years."

It took Chloe a few seconds to realize he had stopped on his tracks; she turned to look at him. He stood at the path just a step behind her, with a haunted look on his face.

"Sergiu?"

He shook his head.

"It's nothing. I just realized I probably left my house unlocked." he said, and started walking again.

"Oh no!" Chloe's eyes widened "We should go back right now!"

"No need. I don't have any valuables."

Chloe blinked.

She always had the feeling that Sergiu was poor, but not being even a little worried about his belonging spoke volumes about just _how_ poor he was.

Chloe had never been wealthy herself; the ranch and her mom's job provided sufficiently for her family, but they always had to be careful, always counting, always working with a budget. Both her and her older brothers had studied extremely hard to earn scholarships for their universities.

That had changed in the past three years or so; he brother David had made it big in Wall Street, and Chloe was relieved to know her siblings and parents would spend the rest of their days comfortably.

She wanted nothing to do with David's money though.

"Are you sure?" she asked, still filled with worry.

"Yes, it's fine." Sergiu said dismissively "What where you doing in New York?"

Chloe huffed.

"Wasting my time." she mumbled under her breath.

She didn't want to think much about New York. She didn't know why she even brought it up.

He seemed to be curious though. He arched his eyebrows and looked at her, as if trying to read her mind.

Chloe laughed nervously.

"It's a boring story, and I have already talked enough to make your ears buzz."

He looked at her with an expression she could not entirely decipher.

"I like listening."

Chloe smiled a nervous smile, thinking.

Finally she sighed and started sitting on a bench; she paused before she did though, and turned to look at him.

"Do you mind if I sit a bit?" she asked him with a pained smile.

He shook his head, and after a moment of consideration, sat beside her, on the far end of the bench.

Chloe stretched her legs and whined with satisfaction as her knee cracked a bit.

"Well, promise not to laugh…" she said as she turned towards him.

He nodded gravely.

 _Well, even if you do, that will be a damn accomplishment._

"Well…I may or may not have studied law for two years."

He blinked slowly.

"Law?"

"Yep." she said, emphasizing the p as she always did. She sighed and smiled "But at the end of the second year I realized that it really wasn't for me, so I dropped out and returned to Wyoming."

He remained silent, regarding her seriously. Chloe suddenly realized she was staring at him and averted her gaze.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I was good. As you must have noticed, talking is one of my strengths; I don't shut up. And that's good for a lawyer. And I'm stubborn and I will fight for what I think is right to the death. I would have made a good lawyer."

He seemed baffled.

"So why did you give up?"

Chloe licked her lips, looking at her boots, then back up at him.

"Just because you're good at something, it doesn't mean you have to practice it." she shrugged "And it took me a while to understand that. It was a life that just wouldn't have made me happy. Being a botanist makes me much happier."

He nodded.

"Then you did the right thing."

Chloe exhaled sharply through her nose and smiled kindly to him.

"I think so too."

 _And I hope so._

Silence fell for a while.

Chloe tried to push a weight that was starting to settle on her chest away.

"So I suppose that after New York, Bucharest is tame."

Chloe laughed.

"Every city in the world is tame compared to New York."

He exhaled through the nose, and Chloe realized he was smiling again.

 _Now there's a sight._

"Now you are overreacting a bit." Sergiu told her.

"Am I?" Chloe raised her eyebrows "A few days after I left for Wyoming, a hole opened in the sky and there was an alien invasion; where else but in New York would this happen?"

He seemed to consider that for a bit.

"Well, a giant robot tried to turn a city into a meteor."

"Okay, maybe this wasn't clear, but _aliens_ falling like rain trough a wormhole in the sky because a _Norse God_ wanted to play king." Chloe said, pronouncing each word with special care.

He shook his head.

"Okay. You don't like cities."

Chloe opened her mouth in horror.

"I beg your pardon sir!" she exclaimed "But you're mistaken. I like cities very much! I find that they have their own amazing charm! The noise, the people, the bars and cafés, the malls and the graffiti; all of it is just a separate world. I love cities."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Is there anything you _don't_ love?"

"Sarcastic twats."

He didn't deign to answer that.

Chloe huffed and let her head fall back on the bench.

Her eyes scanned the sky between the silhouettes of the branches and leaves above her.

"You want to know what I don't like about cities?"

She felt him turn towards her, and she pointed upwards.

In the edge of her vision, she saw him look up; facing like her the empty sky.

The mechanical lights of the city had faded the starts away, hiding them behind a mist of smoky mist, painting the sky a lighter color than it ought to have been.

He seemed to understand her meaning, as he remained silent, looking at the sky.

"Have you ever sat under the stars in the middle of the night?" Chloe suddenly asked him, averting her eyes from the empty sky "The wind in your hair, grass under your feet, a blanket on your shoulders, a warm mug in your hands, and someone to share the silence with you?"

He didn't look at her, but frowned in deep thought.

Eventually, he raised his voice.

"Yes. Only there definitely weren't blankets or hot drinks. It was summer, at the beach."

Chloe smiled and closed her eyes.

"That sounds equally great. The sound of waves …" she mumbled, imagining the sound.

They were silent for a while, before Sergiu talked once more.

"Did you do that often?"

"Stay awake?" she asked and smiled nostalgically "Yes, when I was a teen. My older sister had trouble falling asleep, and we slept in the same room. She would get up and go outside, until she got sleepy or dawn came. If I woke up and didn't find her there, I would go to her. I made some tea too, like the one I gave to Mrs. Adriana. Sometimes our brother David would join us too."

Cold nights among rustling grass, with fluffy socks, hurled under her blanker with Lauren. Moment of calmness and wonder and freedom. She smiled, now looking at the movement of the leaves.

 _There is always something to look at, if only you search._

"I did it in New York too, only I would look at the lights of cars passing by."

He hummed.

"Where did you live? In New York."

"Bronx. It's where my mom's from."

"Your mom's from New York?"

"Yep!" Chloe said, straightening up and stifling a yawn "She's of Irish descend. Grandpa and grandma, as well as my aunt still live there. You can imagine their horror when mom left New York to live in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. "

"Why did she?"

"Originally for work. Mom's a zoologist, and she always wanted to work on the field. She found a job in Grand Teton National Park, then she met dad, and then we came along. But I don't think she misses New York that much. She was always a nature type."

Sergiu nodded, and Chloe stifled another yawn.

"Okay, I think it's time to go."

Chloe rolled her eyes at him.

"Is it past my curfew, mom?"

He just rose and eyed her severely.

Chloe sighed and got to her feet.

They started heading back to where the motorcycle had been parked mostly in silence.

Until Chloe stopped dead on her tracks, looking over the side of the path.

 _Oh…yes._

Sergiu stopped too, turning towards her.

"What is it?"

Chloe turned to look at him with a mischievous smile.

Sergiu's gaze finally fell on the object of her attention; a big pile of dead leaves.

"Chloe…" he said warningly.

"Sergiu?" she answered innocently, taking a few steps back.

"Don't –" he started but was too late.

Chloe rushed towards the pile, jumped, and landed perfectly within the leaves, getting half buried in the process.

She laughed gleefully; Sergiu huffed.

 _Worth it,_ she thought while she laughed, immerging from the pile.

Sergiu was still standing on his original spot, shaking his head.

"Oh come on, where is your sense of fun?" Chloe exclaimed, still laughing.

"How old are you again?" he asked her, with a deadpan look.

"Twenty four in body, nineteen in my soul."

He pinched the bridge of his nose as she finally managed to get up and skip towards him.

"You have a leaf on your head."

Chloe laughed and pulled it away.

"Oh come on Serge, don't be so serious!" she smiled "You'll get old before your time."

Something about that seemed to amuse him, but he didn't answer.

Finally they reached the bike, and as he unlocked it, Chloe took the helmet and offered it to him.

He looked at her grimly and put the lock back in the trunk, shutting it poignantly.

"Take it…" she growled at him; her tone warning that if he didn't, there would be hell to pay.

He didn't seem intimidated. He just leaned on the bike and crossed his arms, looking down at her flatly.

"Stop glaring."

"You promised!" she shouted.

"Chloe. I'm not budging on this one. Wear the helmet and let's get going."

Chloe pouted as she looked at him. Even leaning on the bike, he still towered over her, like an unmoving boulder. That was the attitude he was giving off as well.

Chloe may have been a distinctively stubborn woman, but she knew a lost cause when she saw one.

She sighed in annoyance and defeat.

"Fine. Have it your way. You're so bullheaded that I highly doubt it would cause you any damage if you hit your head anyway."

Sergiu arched an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked as he took his seat on the bike and ignited the engine.

"Yes, _really_." she retorted, putting the accursed helmet on.

She tried to see if she could put the colander anywhere more practical this time around, but soon gave up and repeated the previous arrangement; sitting behind him with the utensil in between them.

His voice interrupted her thoughts, as he turned over his shoulder to regard her very seriously.

"And there I was, thinking I was a handsome devil."

Slowly taking in his meaning, Chloe's eyes widened in horror.

 _No._

She felt her face burning and her jaw dropped wide open in shock.

 _Gods, kill me now._

Then she saw the amused gleam in his eyes as he regarded her burning face and open mouth.

 _You. Little. Shit._

 _You sneaky fox, you had been waiting for the right moment to bring that up, huh?_

Chloe shook her head and struggled to find the words, opening and closing her mouth; as horrified and embarrassed as she was, she could help but smile.

"Listen you-! You absolute-! First things first, **shame** on you, that's below the belt, and secondly-"she stammered and accused, unable to gather her disoriented thoughts.

"I suggest you hold on to something." Sergiu interrupted her rambling, in an almost bored tone.

The gleam in his eyes should have warned Chloe, but she didn't have the time to process it.

With a roar, the bike dashed across the street.

"Fuck-!" Chloe yelped, latching desperately on him.

She faintly heard him exhale in amusement as the bellowing wind drowned all noises around them.

She leaned as close to him as she could and yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I'm going to **murder** you!"

"Can't hear you, kid." was what he answered.

Chloe ran her tongue over her bottom lip, pondering whether it would be worth it to just sing at the top of her lungs; see if he heard her then.

Instead she just growled in his ear to show him how utterly displeased she was.

As the wind hit her face though, and streetlights sped past her, Chloe chuckled.

 _Well_ _ **there**_ _is the sense of fun…_

She realized she had been clutching at his waist way too hard to be comfortable. Wincing, she loosened her grip, and almost apologized. Then she decided it served him well.

"You play dirty, you know that?" she asked him, laughing slightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She scoffed.

"And if you want to know," she continued, as sassily as she could master "now that I know you a bit better, I regret every word of praise I ever said."

A blatant lie, but if he thought she was one to be teased, he clearly had gotten the wrong idea. Chloe Paylor had grown up with three brothers; she was a veteran.

"Should I be offended?"

Chloe chuckled.

"A pretty face doesn't get you in my good graces, Mr. Grumpy." she told him poignantly "And you're not my type anyway."

And she was honest. Was he incredibly good looking? Yes. Did his face sometimes throw her off balance? Most definitively. Was she trying really hard not to focus on the fact she had her arms wrapped around him?

No commend.

But time and familiarity had taken much of the initial fascination away, and the nature of their encounters had been so violently un-romantic, that she seriously felt that forming a friendship was a much better investment of her time.

"And what is your type, if I may ask?"

Chloe smiled wickedly.

 _Fell right in my trap, sir._

"Fun people."

She didn't enjoy her victorious one-liner long though; since as soon as the words left her mouth, Sergiu gave her some side-eye accompanied with a raised eyebrow, and took a turn so sharply, Chloe yelped and grabbed onto him so hard her knuckles turned white.

"I swear to god, if you don't stop doing that I'm hitting you with the colander! See who plays dirtier!" she snapped at him.

Once more she realized her grip on him was too tight. The good thing about him trying to scare the living shit out of her was that there was not overthinking their touch; it would however be silly if she maintained a death grip on him.

He didn't answer; so Chloe jabbed him on the side a bit.

"Idiot."

"Hold on like a proper human being."

"Hold on like a proper human being…" she mimicked his voice mockingly, but did as she was told.

It was becoming easier and easier; casual almost.

She found it easier, for the rest of their small journey, not to think about the warmth his body gave off. And as they finally reached home and climbed the stairs together, as she thanked him and they exchanged their goodnights, Chloe found it even easier not to think about the warmth in her chest when he smiled briefly at her.

She didn't even have to try to not think about any of that as she went to bed.

After all, friends don't dwell on those things.

* * *

 _Song of the chapter:_

 **Autumn** _–_ _Paulo Nutini_


	8. Chapter 8: Of friendships and crushes

_Hello everyone! First thing first, happy Halloween to those who celebrate it!_

 _I feel like I owe you all an apology and explanation for my absence these past months. As a rule, I try not to talk about my personal life on the internet since I don't think I have any reason to weight anyone down with my problems, since I am quite certain you all have your own. On that note, I will not give you any of the intricate details, but a chain of events that have occurred since July have left me both physically and mentally exhausted, and I currently find myself with very little time and energy to pursue any of my interests._

 _This however does not mean that I will stop writing! It merely means that the updates will be a bit sparser than I originally planned, until things get back on track at least. I hope you all understand._

 _On a different and happier note…OH MY GOD WE REACHED 100 REVIEWS! AND OVER ! Thank you all so much! All your amazing feedback is the true fuel of this story. Here's to you! It will take me a while to answer to all your lovely reviews, but I will be thanking every single one of you (with the exception of my lovely anons, whom I cannot message, unfortunately)!_

 _So to celebrate this landmark (and also because I owe you all an apology for the late update) I was thinking of writing an extra chapter! And I was considering that it would be nice if I re-wrote chapter 7 from Bucky's POV. Of course I am open to suggestions, so if you have any better ideas, drop them in the comments or PM me!_

 _So, having all this said and done, here's the chapter! This one is dedicated to my best friends, who were the inspirations for Annika and Ekaterina._

 _XoXo,_

 _Lady Turwaithiel_

 _I own nothing but my OCs_

* * *

 **Of flowers, coffee and plum tarts**

 **Chapter 8: Of friendships and crushes**

The sun was shining brightly over Bucharest, filling the streets with light and people enjoying the beautiful day and crisp air.

Chloe skipped cheerfully down the street, coffee in hand, grin on her lips. She looked around, searching.

"Chloe!" two voices echoed from her side, and her eyes finally found a waving Annika and Kat, standing at the corner of the street.

 _Aha!_

"Good morning!" she chirped rushing towards them, slightly breathless; her nose a bit red from the cool air.

"Can you be in time for once?" Kat huffed and smiled brightly as she hugged her friend.

Annika said nothing; instead she stared at the object in Chloe's hands with horror.

"Please tell me you are not actually late because you stopped to get Starbucks." she finally murmured, aghast.

Chloe sniffed and raised her head defiantly.

"I did."

Annika pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And is that what I think it is?" she asked, looking almost pained.

Chloe raised an eyebrow and slowly took a sip from her Pumpkin Spice Late.

"Aaaah…" she sighed with pleasure "Tastes like autumn."

"If autumn was an overpriced, overly sweet, fake flavored mess of a beverage." Annika growled.

"Sue me, I'm not even ashamed!" Chloe grinned and raised her coffee "Cheers!"

Annika just shook her head with a smile, which dropped as soon as Kat smacked her on the head.

"Let the girl have her horrible taste in coffee!" she berated her friend.

Chloe gasped and clutched at her chest.

"Okay, you are both being judgmental and I'm very hurt. In the feelings."

The other two laughed, and Kat gave Chloe a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Eeeeewww…" Chloe whined, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

"It's punishment for being late!" Kat winked "And now let's get our asses shopping!"

Chloe smiled. Kat had been basically spamming them with request to go shopping, and although Chloe was not a big fan, it had been a long while since she had done this with friends; in fact she couldn't recall the last time she purchased an item of clothing.

The three girls crossed the road while Kat called the boys, whom she and Chloe would later find in the library in order to discuss their group project.

"So how's your grandpa?" Chloe turned to Annika with a frown.

The other girl shrugged.

"Just as he was; bones don't heal easily when you are his age. Worst part is he thinks he can handle himself just fine and just won't sit his butt down!"

Chloe huffed.

"My grandma is the same back home. And Mrs. K. keeps up the tradition."

"Mrs. K?" Annika asked, quite confused.

"Mrs. Adriana." Chloe explained "After the mouse incident, I have been telling her to give either Sergiu or me a pair of keys for her apartment; cause if anything happens, we really won't be able to go help!"

"Did she give it to you?"

"Yes, but only after Serge informed her he was about to break her door last time. She said he was a barbaric meathead and gave me the keys."

Annika laughed quietly, as Cloe drank her coffee.

"I am starting to pity the dude. He's caught between the scariest old lady I've ever seen and you."

"Hey!" Chloe almost chocked "What's wrong with me?"

"You're so noisy you could double as a white-sound machine."

Chloe squinted disdainfully.

"Don't make me hit you. You are so tiny, I will probably break you," she growled.

That seemed to hit a nerve, as Annika's nostrils flared.

"Call me tiny again, plant-head. I dare you."

Chloe smiled her evilest smile.

"What are you going to do, scratch my ankles?"

Quick as a snake, Annika poked Chloe in the ribs, making her yelp in surprise. Pouting, Chloe countered with a ferocious boop on the nose.

It would have gone on, if not for Kat, who was still struggling to make arrangements with the boys. Clearly annoyed, she pulled her phone from her ear and glared at them.

"If you two don't stop it, I will be forced to stop you myself."

The other two exchanged a look, and stepped away from each other with a pout.

"Killjoy…" Chloe murmured.

Kat just smiled victoriously and Chloe stuck her tongue out.

Joking aside, Kat was the last person on Earth Chloe would want to piss off, since she had almost twenty years of martial arts training on her back and it clearly showed.

Ekaterina was one of those people that command a presence; though she wouldn't be considered conventionally attractive with her hooked nose and overly sharp features, there was something mesmerizing about her. From her yellowish green eyes to her bone structure, she looked distinctively feline. Every time Chloe looked at Kat, she was reminded of a tiger.

At first Chloe had been weary of her, until the intimidating effect was shattered when she realized what a huge geek that girl was. Kat would passionately declare that one's Hogwarts House is a vital part of their identity and had actually forced Vasili and Annika to take the Pottermore Sorting Hat quiz, since they didn't know theirs.

And she owned an R2-D2 backpack, which she was currently sporting.

Chloe smiled when she spotted it.

 _What a nerd,_ she thought affectionately.

Chloe admired Kat a lot. She was wildly unapologetic about herself, from her beliefs to her tastes to her sexuality.

While Chloe was not exactly shy, she was always too eager to be liked and sometimes she put herself down for the sake of it; she was starting to change that though. Humbleness was one thing, dismissing her good qualities was another.

Like her amazing talent of burning her tongue with her coffee.

Chloe whined in pain, as Annika looked at her questioningly.

"I burned my tongue…" Chloe said piteously, making her friend close her eyes in exasperation and amusement.

"And I will burn you alive if you two don't hurry up!" Kat yelled in complete frustration.

"Yes ma'am…" Chloe mumbled as they hurried across the street.

* * *

"I look like a colorful tent." Annika huffed as she looked at the floral dress Chloe had forced her to try on.

"You look cute as hell." Kat disagreed.

"Which is incidentally where I'm from."

"Ha, ha, Annie. You're so funny." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Also you are too skinny to ever come close at looking like a tent." Kat informed her "And blue is really your color. You are getting this."

Annika huffed and looked at her reflection critically. Finally she shrugged.

"Fine." she agreed "But I get to pick one thing for both of you."

Chloe blinked as Annika retreated in the changing room.

"You are not making me wear white!" she shouted at her.

"Chloe, you have red hair, white would look amazing on you. Stop being stubborn." her friend's voice echoed.

"Yes, white all over and red on top. It makes me look like a damn tampon."

Kat chocked on her water.

"Chloe! You are absolutely disgusting!" she said between violent bursts of giggles.

Chloe shrugged; while Annika's head popped behind the curtain to squint at her.

"Black."

"No."

"Black."

Chloe looked upwards in exasperation.

 _What have I done Lord, to suffer such tortures?_

"Fine." she growled "Turn me into Black Widow."

Annika smirked and was once more hidden by the curtain.

"Black Widow is awesome and you should not take her name in vein." Kat threatened.

"Forgive me my insolence, good lady." Chloe laughed "I meant no disrespect for you celebrity crush."

"One day I will marry her, and then we'll see who's got the last laugh." Kat stated mater-of-factly.

Chloe just laughed harder.

Annika, exiting the changing room with the dress and a pair of jeans in her hands, joined in the conversation.

"Please do, the Avengers would have to be at the wedding, and I would sell my soul for a psychological profile of that bunch."

Kat and Chloe sighed at the same time as the returned to the main part of the store to browse for clothes.

"Yes Annie, we know…" they chimed together.

"I mean imagine that. The things they have seen." she went on, a familiar light sparkling in her eyes "Any normal person would have given up years ago. I can't imagine the trauma they have endured. And yet they go on. It's remarkable."

 _You are equally remarkable…_ Chloe almost said, but kept her mouth shut. She knew Annika didn't like her family be mentioned.

Annika was one of those people who life seemed to strike with misfortune after misfortune.

Her family got in a car crush when she was five; Annika being to sole survivor. She was then raised by her grandparents, but four years ago she lost her grandmother too. Then, two years ago, her grandad got too old to run their shop and her uncle took over. Then the absolute prick refused to give any of the business earnings to them; despite the fact that they were barely managing to get through with Annika's tiny salary and her grandfather's equally small pension.

Most people would have grown desperate. But Annika went on. She never complained. She worked double hours and took care of her grandfather, all the while studying hard to get her degree with quiet determination. Unlike Chloe, she was not a fan of talking, unless she had something important to say; and her input was always insightful. Perhaps a bit aloof, but inconceivably kind; ethereal in her presence but a true stoic in her soul; sarcastic in her views but violently hopeful for her future.

 _"_ _I will get my degree and become a successful psychologist. My grandfather will never have to put anything back on the shelf because he can't afford it. Never. You'll see."_ she had once told Chloe, looking of in the distance with eyes made of steel.

Chloe admired the living shit out of her.

"Chloe, why are you staring at me like you're about to propose?" Annika interrupted her thoughts.

"Perhaps I am." Chloe answered, winking.

Annika raised a quizzical eyebrow, while Kat gasped.

"Traitor!"

"I'm not even your type, Kat." Chloe objected.

"That is true."

"And you already have a girlfriend." Annika added.

"That is also true."

"And if Annie and I go on like that we will die single!" Chloe continued with humorous gravity "You must allow us to find comfort in each other, since guys are a damn nightmare!"

"Speak for yourself crazy plant lady; I do just fine with guys." Annika said flatly, going through a stack of black dresses and pulling one out "What do you think of this one?"

"It will look amazing during your funeral." Chloe growled and Kat laughed; while Annika just ignored her comment and handed her the dress.

"Really though Chloe, what's up with your date life?" Kat said, while staring at a pair of boots.

Chloe shrugged.

"There's just nothing going on really." she said, still eyeing the dress Annika gave her wearily.

"When was the last time you went on a date?" Kat huffed.

"You remember, back in October; the Political Sciences guy who was cool until he asked me for a picture of my feet. No kink-shaming, but I am not _that_ lonely."

Kat cringed.

"Okay, accepted. What about your neighbor?"

Chloe turned to look at her friend with a stunned look on her face; then burst into laughing.

"Sergiu? Nah. He definitely doesn't see me that way. Plus we are friends, kinda."

Kat raised an eyebrow.

"Sure…" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Really Kat! Seriously, he kinda reminds me of my big brothers. The idea of anything romantic feels super weird."

"Also, I think he might be gay."

Both Kat and Chloe turned to look at Annika with stunned expressions.

"What?" Chloe asked in shock.

"Shouldn't you have told her before she got a crush on him?!" Kat exclaimed, looking aghast.

Annika raised her hands defensively.

"I said _might_." she pointed out.

"Why do you think that though?" Chloe asked, extremely curious. The thought had briefly crossed her mind too, but she wasn't conceited enough to believe that just because a guy didn't like her it meant he didn't like girls at all.

"Well…" Annika dropped her voice "Dana- the other cashier in the shop," she stopped to explain to Kat "she always said so, but I think it's because she has been hitting on him since he came and he doesn't even seem to notice and she feels butt-hurt. Anyway, one time on my shift he was buying his groceries and another guy walks in, and Mr. Intense Face just froze. And stared. Like, intense staring. Never seen him react like that to anything before. It was weird."

"Huh…" Chloe said, knitting her eyebrows together "Was the other guy good looking?"

Annika shook her head.

"No, which is why I think I might have misread this one. He was just a short scrawny guy. Blond hair. A few pimples. Not the kind of man you usually stare at."

Kat shrugged.

"Weird." she said and turned to Chloe "Haven't you noticed anything?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Nothing I can think of, really. He's way too quiet and stoic for me to conclude much. But anyway, it doesn't really matter."

"True, you're friendzoned anyway." Kat laughed.

Chloe huffed.

"I am generally friendzoned. I think most guys want to play Mario Cart with me, not date me."

"Well, actually…" Annika said, handing Kat a pale pink dress.

"I am _not_ wearing that!" the other girl complained.

"Shush!" Annika snapped at her, and started pushing her two friends towards the changing rooms.

"You were saying?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, actually, I think Vasili likes you quite a bit."

Chloe stopped dead on her tracks.

"What? Noooo…" she said disbelievingly. Both Kat and Annie raised their eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, wasn't that obvious?" Kat asked in surprise "I thought you were just ignoring him!"

"Girls no!" Chloe laughed, finally shaking the shock off and heading inside the changing room "He's flirty with everyone!"

"Well, he isn't with me." Annie's voice echoed from outside.

"And flirting with me doesn't actually count." Kat's added.

Chloe looked at her reflection thoughtfully, as she put on the dress Annika had picked.

She liked Vasili, but she didn't _like_ like him.

 _He's cute, I suppose…And he makes me laugh. And he gifted me his scarf when I lost mine._

She frowned and eyed her reflection.

 _Oh, this dress actually looks nice!_

"Chloe?" a cheerful voice echoed from behind the curtain "Why are you silent?"

"Oh let me be, Kat!" she huffed as she pulled the curtain "I don't need a boyfriend, okay?"

"Do you even remember the last time you had sex, sweetheart?" Kat asked slyly from her own changing room.

Chloe opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, speechless. Kat just immerged with the pink dress Annika had suggested, looking extremely weird in the colour, and smiled wickedly. Annika was just leaning on the wall, her staring at her phone.

"Rude!" Chloe exclaimed with raised eyebrows "And take off that dress."

"I will take that as a no."

Her lips formed a pout as she glared at Kat.

 _Oh, you are a smart one, Ms. Ekaterina, so smart!_

"Okay, if you want to know, I _do_ remember, but I am _not_ telling you, and we are dropping this subject right _now_ and Annie you _stop_ smiling. And you both tell me what you think of the dress." she blurted, placing her hands on her hips and barely stopping herself from stomping her foot down.

"Marvelous." Annika said flatly, tearing her gaze off the screen.

"Breathtaking." Kat agreed in a much livelier tone.

Chloe huffed.

"Annie, pay attention, you wanted me to buy this!"

"I already knew you would look great."

"Aaaaaaaaaw so sweet!" Chloe cooed with a bright smile appearing on her lips, despite her intention to appear sarcastic

"And what about me?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh I knew you would look ridiculous, I just like seeing you suffer."

Chloe laughed as Kat threw a shoe towards Annika, who easily dodged.

"So you think I should get it?" she asked, eyeing her own dress.

"Yep." both her friends said.

Chloe twirled around, still a bit thoughtful. It was a nice dress, but she always avoided black; her paleness combined with the shade of red she chose for her hair made her look a bit too goth for her taste.

"I look slightly witchy…" she huffed.

"Well it _is_ nearly Halloween." Annie deadpanned.

"Speaking off!" Kat exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with pure joy "Are you two still up for the excursion?"

Annika sighed and looked at her feet.

"I don't know Kat…I mean, I doubt grandpa will be able healthy enough to take care of himself for three days…"

"Come on Annie! Transylvania for Halloween! We will dress up and go to Dracula's Castle and we will drink and have fun! Chloe, say something!"

"Well, my only two problems are that I strongly insist that you don't drive Kat, since last time I saw my entire life flashing before my eyes…"

Kat rolled her eyes "My car, my house, my rules!"

"Okay fine, make sure we are all actual ghosts for Halloween. But I also need to have someone plant-sit."

Chloe winced in pain as both her friends turned to look at her with dumbfounded expressions.

But hell be damned, Chloe was not leaving without making sure her plants would be taken of. She was aware that not many could understand how deeply she cared for them; she loved them the way most people love their pets.

 _But pets can love you back_ , she remember being told over and over.

And so do plants, in their own way. The smell of dirt, the feeling of rough bark and smooth stem and velvet petals beneath her fingertips, the beautiful colour and scent of flowers; their very image as they bloomed or as plants grew and grew higher and stronger… Nothing in this whole wide world made Chloe more content, more serene. Sometimes when she was sad ore upset she would make a circle with her plants and lie among them, looking at them as the towered above her, the light filtering through their leaves, and all would be well.

"I am serious." she told Kat and Annie, making sure she let it show just how much she meant it "I am not leaving them without water for three days."

Kat huffed and turned her gaze to the skies for patience.

"What about the old lady who leaves below you?"

Chloe stared at her in horror.

"I am not making a ninety-two years old woman climb all those stairs to water my plants. No. Absolutely not."

"Sexy neighbor?"

Chloe chewed on her lip.

It was a solution; however, she felt like she had started relying too much on Sergiu's help. She didn't want to be needy or take advantage of all the kindness he had shown her.

"I am not asking his for his help again. Also…" she chewed on her lip, contemplating weather she should share that little nagging feeling she had been having lately.

"Also?" Kat encouraged her and Chloe sighted.

"I am getting the feeling he's been avoiding me. Since the mouse incident."

"What? Why?" Kat said, completely taken aback "I thought you two were buddies."

Chloe waved her hand around.

"We are on friendly terms, but we don't exactly braid each other's hair, Kat. I think maybe I overshared a bit and it made him uncomfortable? I don't know. Anyway, I have asked his help far too many times and honestly I can't keep buying cream puffs every other day..."

"Look, I really don't think I'll be able to come…" Annika said softly, flashing an apologetic look at Kat "So I could do it. At least Chloe can come then."

Kat sighed.

"I will really feel bad if we go without you…" she huffed "But I suppose that can work...Right Chloe?"

Chloe smiled and nodded.

"Yes, thank you Annie!" she said and hugged the girl.

"Knock it off!" the girl whined as Chloe tried to kiss her on the cheek "Take that love off of me!"

"You are the best and we will miss you but I love you!" Chloe sang, still not letting go and managing to land an extra sloppy kiss.

"Chloe I will murder all your plants if you don't let me go!"

Chloe giggled and soon all her friends followed.

"But seriously Kat." Annika suddenly stopped "That colour _does_ look hideous on you, take the dress off."

* * *

It was a chilly Wednesday afternoon, just two days before their planned excursion.

Chloe had been working on her plants for a couple of hours, removing dead foliage and stems, pruning, and checking for pests; even though she had already done so a week ago, and was quite sure she would check again before she left. She knew that it was not likely that something would go wrong in the span of three days, but Annika wouldn't be able to do any of those things if needed, and Chloe was anxious to make her friend's job as easy as possible.

She was kneeled on the floor, carefully removing blossoms and dead leaves from her Pleomele plant, when her phone rang. She reached for it, but stopped as she eyed her dirt-covered hand.

"Shit." she cursed under her breath, looking around for something to wipe it with, seriously not wanting to cover her phone in mud.

Glancing at the screen, she saw Annika's name flashing, and still unable to find anything helpful, wiped her hand on her pants and picked up.

"Hello Annie!" she said cheerfully, still scanning her plant for any dead leaves.

" _Hey Chloe!_ " echoed Annika's voice, sounding so unusually excited that Chloe paused for a second, until a smile spread on her face.

"Hey! What's up? You sound extra cheerful!"

" _Yeah well…_ " Annika hesitated for a moment " _I have good news that will cause a small problem._ "

"Elaborate please?"

" _I am coming!_ " Annika burst out, sounding like a giddy child.

"What, really?!" Chloe exclaimed, both in shock and extreme excitement.

" _Yes! You won't believe it, but my uncle heard about it and he told me he will take care of grandpa so I can come! Said girls my age should have a bit of fun_!"

"Seriously? Your uncle? The one that makes you work extra hours without paying you for them?"

" _The one and only!_ " she sighed, but her excitement was still so palpable that Chloe could practically _feel_ her beaming " _He was pretty wild in his youth, and I think he struck a chord with him, I guess. Point is I am coming!_ "

"Annie that is awesome!" Chloe screeched, feeling honestly so happy. Annika almost never got out the house for anything but work and studies; she deserved this trip more than any of them.

" _Yeah, but…_ " Annika said in a guilty tone " _What about your plants?_ "

Chloe sighed and smiled.

"Don't be silly, I will take care of it!"

" _I am sorry..."_

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Stop guilt tripping yourself woman, not everything is your responsibility!" she scolded her friend "Just relax, I will find someone before you can say ' _spooky scary Halloween'_!"

" _That is super long, Chloe…_ "

"Shush!"

Annika laughed, and Chloe smiled at the sound. She seriously couldn't get disappointed about plant sitting when her friend was so excited.

" _Anyway, thought I should let you know so that you can search for a replacement._ "

"Yep, thank you!" Chloe said, then giggled "Oh my god Annie, we will have so much fun! It will be awesome! We will tell scary stories and watch crappy horror films!"

" _We can also jump-scare the boys._ "

"That too. Though it will start a war, I warn you." Chloe said grievously, while a wicked smile spread on her lips.

" _Let them come._ "

They both laughed and talked a bit more, until Annika hang up to go prepare dinner.

Chloe sighed and stretched, looking around at the pots of plants.

 _Well babies, seems like I need to find you a new baby-sitter._

It took her one more hour to finish up and take a shower, and by that time the sun going down, lighting up the view from her window with a beautiful sunset. Chloe made herself a cup of Oolong, put on some Ella Fitzgerald and curled on the windowpane with a blanket; watching as the sunset painted the sky with wonderful reds and oranges and lined the clouds with vibrant golden and hazy pinks. She watched as darkness slowly but surely took over and one by one, the streetlights of Bucharest started lighting up.

At some point after nigh had completely descended on the city, she heard a muffled sound coming from the stairs, and eventually reaching the corridor. She sat up a bit as she heard the jangle of keys and the creak of a door.

Chloe sighed and placed her empty cup on the windowpane as she got off of it and threw her blanket on the sofa.

 _Well Paylor, time to go ask a favor. Again._

She decided to wait a bit though, not wanting to knock on his door as soon as he got into his house. She didn't want to look like she had been waiting for him to return.

Instead, with an epiphany hitting her, she headed to the kitchen and retrieved the last blueberry muffin from its box. She had gotten a bunch of those from the bakery a few days ago, when she went to buy cream puffs to say "thank you" for the whole mouse incident.

She had been dreaming of eating this last one the following morning, but she felt odd knocking on Sergiu's door completely empty handed. She waited for a few more minutes, before she started heading for the door; as she passed before the open bathroom door she caught herself checking at her reflection.

 _No Chloe, bad Chloe!_ She berated herself _. It doesn't matter how you look, now get your bunny-slipper wearing feet out that door!_

With a determined puff, she strutted across the living room, opened the door, took the few steps that separated her door from his, raised her hand, and lingered in that position for a second.

 _Come on girl. You got this._

Nodding approvingly at herself and trying to ignore her fast beating heart, she knocked the door rhythmically and took a step back. She didn't get to catch a breath before she heard shuffling and the door opened just an inch.

"Hello!" she greeted as happily as she could, smiling at the single blue eye that was visible from the tiny crack.

"Hi." Sergiu said, sounding slightly concerned as he now opened the door just enough for himself to be visible, yet obscuring the insides of his apartment from her line of vision. Chloe was suddenly very self-conscious as he eyed her questioningly; waiting for the reason she came knocking.

A couple of silent seconds followed, before Chloe finally cleared her throat and extended her hand.

"I brought you a muffin." she blurred out and almost hurled herself on the wall as soon as the words came out.

 _Smooth Chloe._

Sergiu looked at the muffin, then back at her, and frowned.

"Why?" he asked, now confused, on the verge of suspicious.

Chloe flinched slightly and cleared the throat once more, while transferring her weight from one foot to the other.

 _So smooth._

"Okay well…" she said, smiling awkwardly and deciding to just get on with it "I might or might not be bribing you because I need a favor."

He raised his eyebrows, leaning slightly on the doorframe, but said no word.

 _Right. Not the most talkative fellow. Damn blue looks so good on him. Focus on the subject at hand Chloe._

She huffed and hunched her shoulders a bit.

"My friends will be going to Transylvania this weekend for Halloween, well actually from Friday till Sunday, my friend Kat has a house there, but anyway no matter, and originally one of them wouldn't come but after all she will, and I really want to go too, but I can't leave my plants without having someone to at least water them, and my friend who originally wouldn't come was supposed to do that but now she can't since she's coming too, and I would ask Mrs. Adrianna but I would feel bad if she had to climb all these stairs."

He blinked a few times, trying to decipher what the meaning behind that onslaught of words was.

Chloe bit her lip and looked down again.

"What I trying to say is, um, would you be able to take care of my plants for three days? I mean there's no problem if you can't, I will figure something out, and I am really sorry for asking you for a favor again, I completely understand if you have better things to do, worst case scenario I will just not go, it's not the end of the world after all, but if you could I would really be very grateful and- "

"Okay."

Chloe blinked a few times and before she could stop it, she found herself grinning.

"Really?!" she exclaimed, barely able to keep her voice from turning into a shrill.

He just nodded. Chloe seriously considered hugging him for a second, then thought better of it.

Instead she just smiled him her best, brightest smile she could master.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise its nothing difficult, I will leave you very clear instructions, it won't take too much of your time, I have already done all the other things that need to be done, oh thank you so much! I am so sorry for putting you in trouble!"

He shook his head.

"No problem."

"You are the best neighbor that ever neighbored!" she beamed at him and extended the muffin once more for him to take.

He eyed it and shook his head again.

"Keep it."

"But-"

"I don't like muffins very much. You will appreciate more than me."

Chloe drew her hand back and looked at him like the human ray of hidden sunshine that he was.

"Thank you." she mumbled again, clutching the muffin.

He just nodded.

Another couple of seconds passed before Chloe realized it was turning awkward.

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Good."

 _Okay he is in no mood for chit-chat._

"Glad to hear that!" she smiled "I will stop being a bother now and let you rest! Sorry once more for the trouble."

He shook his head.

"I told you, no need." he said and his lips trembled a bit in what seemed like an attempt at his usual ghostly smirks. Chloe frowned, but before she could speak, he interrupted her "So when are you leaving?"

"Friday morning! I will leave the keys under my doormat for you."

"No need, I wake up early. Just knock."

"Oh, okay." she said, starting to feel more and more like she was running out of things to talk about, but not wanting to leave just yet. There was something in his eyes that troubled her; he didn't look very well.

"Sergiu…" she started carefully, unable stop herself "Are you sure you're okay?"

He tilted his head to the side, his gaze suddenly very focused on her.

"Yes, why?" he asked, almost coldly.

Chloe swallowed. She had seen him distant, and she had heard other people call him hostile, but she had never seen that side of him before. He was clearly upset about something.

She chose her next words carefully.

"You have always been so kind to me –I know you say it's nothing, but it's a lot to me. You always help me out, even if you have no reason to. So, what I am trying to say is that if you ever need any help, with anything whatsoever, I am right next door."

She was aware that this was a bit much, considering they had officially met just this month, but it was in her nature to try and be helpful, even for people she didn't know for long or very well. Especially if they had been nothing but kind.

He stared at her for a solid second before he spoke.

"Okay." he finally said without any distinct emotion in his voice.

"Great!" she smiled, deciding that was her cue to go "So, I guess we'll talk on Friday."

"Yes."

"Thank you again for everything. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

And with that, he shut his door and Chloe retreated in her apartment. She drifted to the kitchen, carefully returned her muffin to its box. Leaning on the counter, she took a deep breath.

He didn't seem fine at all. In fact, she barely recognized him; there was nothing about him that reminded her of the little sarcastic twat she had come to know.

Had something happened? Was he tight economically? Had he gotten in fight? Or maybe he was just tired and she was being paranoid?

She frowned as a thought popped up in her head.

Could he be mad at _her_?

He had seemed to avoid her for these past four days, but then again maybe they just hadn't run into each other. It wouldn't be so odd after all.

 _Not everything is about you Chloe_ , she scolded herself.

But she couldn't help but try to remember anything she might have said or done that could have annoyed him. But truly, she couldn't think of anything. On the contrary, last time they interacted, he seemed to be having fun.

She sighed once more and stretched her leg absentmindedly.

She couldn't know unless he told her, so there was not much point in fretting about it. Some things are bound to remain mysteries, or reveal themselves in time.

With that thought in mind, she allowed herself to smile and let out a squeak of delight.

"Transylvania here I come!"

* * *

 _Song of the chapter:_

 **But not for me** –Doris Day


End file.
